JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – A 4 p.m. dual with Eckerd (1-6), the other Division II sand program sanctioned by the NCAA, Monday highlights a nine-match, five-day affair for the Carson-Newman Eagles (0-10) in the Sunshine State.
"The team is really excited to play Eckerd," Carson-Newman coach Dan Ahiers said. "They're the only other Division II program in the country with a sand volleyball team. We are calling it the Division II Sand National Championship. It's been a lot of fun competing against the heavyweights, but now we get to play someone in our own weight class."
Eckerd defeated Webber International University 3-2 before losing the same program 1-4 later in the day on March 28. The Tritons lost to Florida Gulf Coast 0-5 Thursday and their next match will be against the Eagles on Monday.
Carson-Newman gets its weekend started with five outings in the Surf 'n Turf Tournament hosted by Florida International University. With three matches scheduled for Friday, the Eagles kick things off against Stanford (3-1) at 8 a.m. Matches against Florida Atlantic (6-4) at 10:30 a.m. and Webber International University (1-2) at 3:30 p.m. round out the first day. Play concludes in the tournament against sixth-ranked Florida International (13-1) at 8 a.m. on Saturday with a singles bracket challenge where every pair is on its own concludes the tournament at 10:30 a.m.
After taking on Eckerd, Carson-Newman concludes its weekend in the Florida State Tri-Match against LSU (8-7) at a yet to be determined time, the defending national runners up and third-ranked Florida State (10-4) at 11:30 a.m. and against Louisiana-Monroe (8-3) at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Playing some of the best teams in the country has been a challenge for the Eagles, but one that the entire team has welcomed as an opportunity to get better.
"We are getting better as a team not just for sand season but for indoor as well," Ahiers said. "We are playing such great competition so I think it's been a real blessing and I think the girls are liking it and getting better."
While it is an active weekend for the Eagles, the team will have a chance to get a "second spring break" in which the squad will spend with family to celebrate the Easter weekend.
"We have a day and a half there in the middle over Easter Sunday that we get all of our families are coming to visit us in Florida," Ahiers said. "We are going to get to ride jet skis, kayaks and we get to have Easter dinner together. It's not just about the volleyball. It's fun that our families get to come join us and we are one big volleyball family."
The ability to play sand volleyball has greatly helped the overall dynamic of the group's volleyball knowledge and skill set according to Ahiers.
"Every time that they run, move, jump, do anything in the sand, they are not only getting better at volleyball, but they are also strength training," Ahiers said. "The resistance of the sand is really making them faster, jump higher and it provides so many more contacts than they get indoors. Our middles, our setters got to learn to serve receive. They've got to learn to set. They've got to learn the game of volleyball not just their skill specific. I know it makes them better and smarter volleyball players."
Follow @CNathletics and @CarsonNewmanVB on Twitter to stay current with the results during the day and visit cneagles.com following the final match of the to get a full rundown of the sand volleyball program's weekend of competition.
