COLUMBIA, S.C.— The Carson-Newman beach volleyball team dropped matches to Coastal Carolina, 3-2, and South Carolina , 5-0, Sunday afternoon to cap of the Palmetto Invitational against four Division I programs in Columbia, S.C.
The Eagles began the tournament Saturday afternoon with a 3-2 loss to North Carolina-Wilmington and a 5-0 loss to LSU. Carson-Newman's record moves to 0-8 in the state of South Carolina this year as all eight losses have come at the hands of Division I powers.
Dual No. 1: Coastal Carolina 3, Carson-Newman 2
Sunday's action at the Palmetto Invitational began with an Eagle (7-11) 3-2 loss to Coastal Carolina (3-6).
Carson-Newman's No. 1 pairing of Katie Will (Clearwater, Fla.) and Ally King (Cincinnati, Ohio) kicked things off with a 21-11, 21-12 loss to Natasa Savovic and Alise Petersone.
Coastal Carolina would then take two-straight as Tahleia Bishop and Aleksandra Djuric downed Molly Locke (College Grove, Tenn.) and Maddie Zyburt (Plainfield, Ill.) 21-18 in two sets in the second-seeded contest.
Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) and Sara Fairley (Charlotte, N.C.) would then put the Eagles on the board for the first time in the contest with a 21-15, 21-12 victory at No. 3 over Leah Hardenman and Carla Cahill.
Natalie Harris (Monroe, N.C.) and Kristina Hill (Lake Orion, Mich.) would not keep pace as the duo dropped a three-setter to Sara Boothe and Mika Mierzwa a court over 21-8, 18-21 and 15-9.
The Eagles would notch the scoreboard once more in dual No. 1 with a three-set victory in the fifth-match of the contest. Eileen Anderson (Pittstown, N.J.) and Megan Morris (Mount Pleasant , S.C.) picked up their second win of the tournament as the duo took down Iva Mandic and Dora Lulic 21-17, 14-21 and 15-9 to finish off the match.
Dual No. 1 Results: Costal Carolina 3, Carson-Newman 2
1. Natasa Savovic/Alise Petersone (CCU) def. Katie Will/Ally King (C-N) 21-11, 21-12
2. Tahleia Bishop/Aleksandra Djuric (CCU) def. Molly Locke/Maddie Zyburt (C-N) 21-18, 21-18
3. Taylor Lowe/Sara Fairley (C-N) def. Leah Hardeman/Carla Cahill (CCU) 21-15, 21-12
4. Sara Boothe/Mika Mierzwa (CCU) def. Natalie Harris/Kristina Hill (C-N) 21-8, 18-21, 15-9
5. Eileen Anderson/Megan Morris (C-N) def. Iva Mandic/Dora Lulic (CCU) 21-17, 14-21, 15-9
Dual No. 2: South Carolina 5, Carson-Newman 0
Carson-Newman (7-12) and South Carolina (16-12) squared off for the second time this season as the Gamecocks also won a 5-0 dual on March 27.
King and Will again began things for Carson-Newman in the final match of the Palmetto Invitational with a 21-17, 21-19 loss against Julia Mannisto and Shannon Williams in the No. 1 pairing sector.
Locke and Zyburt would follow with a 21-14, 21-9 loss at No. 2 against Macie Tendrich and Katie Reilly before giving way to Fairley and Lowe's 21-11, 21-12 loss in the third-seeded contest.
Jade Vitt and Delaney Wood would then take down the Eagles' No. 4 pairing of Harris and Hill 21-12, 21-7 and Morris and Anderson would conclude the day with a 21-4, 21-13 loss in the fifth-match of the contest.
Dual No. 2 Results: South Carolina 5, Carson-Newman 0
1. Julia Mannisto/Shannon Williams (SC) def. Ally King/Katie Will (CNU) 21-17, 21-19
2. Macie Tendrich/Katie Reilly (SC) def. Molly Locke/Maddie Zyburt (CNU) 21-14, 21-9
3. Sarah Blomgren/Aubrey Ezell (SC) def. Sara Fairley/Taylor Lowe (CNU) 21-11, 21-12
4. Jade Vitt/Delaney Wood (SC) def. Kristina Hill/Natalie Harris (CNU) 21-12, 21-7
5. Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby (SC) def. Megan Morris/Eileen Anderson (CNU) 21-4, 21-13
Carson-Newman will conclude its second year of the beach program next weekend with matches against Stevenson and Rutgers-Newark at the Stevenson Sand Tournament on April 23.
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