MACON, Ga. - For the fourth and fifth time this season, the Carson-Newman beach volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to Division-I foes, falling to Mercer and Jacksonville on Saturday, Mar. 26.
The Eagles dropped both matches by a 4-1 score, winning both at the no. five position. C-N falls to 10-6 on the season, with five of those losses coming to Division-I teams.
MATCH ONE: Mercer 4, C-N 1
Match one started strong for the Eagles, with the pair of Julia Wheeler and Kenzie Palmer winning the exhibition match in three sets.
In regulation play, C-N took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a three-set win at no. five by Lindsey Geurin and Taylor Keeran. The duo dropped set one 23-21 before winning the second set 21-15. The pair earned their eleventh win of the season by closing out the Bears in set three 15-10.
Carson-Newman would go on to drop the next four games. The only other game to go to three sets was at no. four where Morgan Siwiec and Alanis Mendez pushed the match to three sets before dropping the final set 15-10.
Mercer clinched the match by winning the next three games in two sets. McKenna Hall and Piper Halcrow fell at no. three 21-13 and 21-18, while the Bears clinched the match at no. one, knocking off Sierra Still and Mia Toribio 21-11 and 21-16.
Abbey Hildenbrand and Jenny Ille put up a fight at no. two, but also dropped back-to-back sets, falling 21-19 and 21-18.
Mercer moved to 3-15 on the season with the win and 2-0 this year against SAC opponents.
MATCH TWO: Jacksonville 4, C-N 1
The Eagles second match of the day was similar to the first, this time with Carson-Newman picking up the win at no. four. After dropping the first set 21-10, Mendez and Siwiec took set two by a whopping 21-5 margin before clinching the game in set three with a 15-11 win.
The next four matches would all be two-set victories for the Jacksonville Dolphins. Halcrow and Hall fell at no. three 21-15 and 21-12, while Hildenbrand and Ille fell at no. two 21-14 and 21-16.
Jacksonville clinched the match with a win at no. five, knocking off Keeran and Geurin in straight sets 21-16 and 21-14.
Toribio and Still fell at no. one in straight sets for the second match in a row 24-22 and 21-16.
Carson-Newman will look to rebound tomorrow in Macon as they take on the State College of Florida at 9:00 AM and Saint Leo at 3:00 PM. Fans can follow along with updates on cneagles.com
