Sand Eagles set single season wins record on senior day

VIDEO: Highlights 

VIDEO: Cat Lind Interview

BOX SCORE: Match One

BOX SCORE: Match Two

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- The Eagles dominated on senior day as they made history after sweeping St. Andrews in a pair of 5-0 games.

The 2022 Sand Eagles now hold the record for the most wins in a single season with 12, passing the 2016 team that finished the season 11-12.

Morgan Siwiec and Lindsey Geurin were honored at senior day for the Eagles. Geurin extended her career wins record to a total of 28 wins after two vicories over the Knights. Siwiec remains second on the leaderboard with a total of 25 career wins. 

The Eagles won 11 straight sets on the day, including an exhibition match in the first game. This is the first time this season that Carson-Newman hasn't lost a single set in a double-header. Carson-Newman has yet to lose a set against St. Andrews as they advance to 5-0 all-time against the Knights. 

"Today was a good day for us to get our confidence back," says head beach volleyball coach Cat Lind. "I'm proud that we took care of business today despite the weather and did our jobs as individuals and as pairs."

Match One: Carson-Newman 5, St. Andrews 0

Geurin and Taylor Keeran began the day for the Eagles with a 21-13 win over Samantha Byrd and Kyra McKinney. They carried the momentum into the second set where they won 21-17. 

In the day's only exhibition match, Kenzie Palmer and Alanis Mendez take down Mikayla Davy and Haley Wells in sets of 21-13 and 21-7. 

McKenna Hall and Piper Halcrow dominated their first set with a 21-7 win over Benekus and Ybarra. The pair then rolled to a 21-13 win in the second set

In the no. four position, Siwiec and Julia Wheeler toppled the Knights in back-to-back sets of 21-9 and clinched the match for the Eagles after taking the second set 21-17.

Abbey Hilldenbrand and Jenny Ille took down Alexis Gordon and Parker Venable in the no. two position in back-to-back sets. They began the match with a 21-8 win, and closed it out with a 21-16 victory.

Sierra Still and Mia Toribio round out the first game with a victory against Elizabeth Schmidt and Laura Gauna. The duo began the match with a 21-11 win, and finished out the day with a 21-17 win to solidify the first 5-0 victory. 

Game Two: Carson-Newman 5, St. Andrews 0

Geurin and Keeran once again began the game off in the no. five position for the Eagles. Haley Wells and Emily Cox step in for the Knights, but fall in two sets of 21-14 against the Eagles. Geurin moves to 13-6 on the year. 

McKenna Hall and Piper Halcrow slide into the no four position in game two for the Eagles. The tactics paid off for the Eagles as they bested Davy and Skeens in back-to-back sets of 21-11. 

Siwiec completed her final regular season home sets for the Eagles as her and Wheeler topple Standridge and Ybarra in sets of 21-7 and 21-8 to clinch the victory for the Eagles. 

Toribio moves to the no. two position for only the second time so far this season as her and Ille beat Venable and Gordon in sets two sets of 21-16. This marks the third match of this game that had two sets of identical scores. No other game has had more than one so far this season. 

Hilldenbrand moves into the no. one position for the final match of the day, as her and Still capture the 5-0 victory against Gauna and Schmidt. The Eagles began the match with a 21-13 set, and kept the momentum rolling as they finished out the day with a 21-16 set. 

The Eagles have now claimed their second straight undefeated season at home, going 6-0 on the banks of Mossy Creek. The Orange and Blue have won ten straight home matches, and have gone 1,089 days since their last loss at home. 

Carson-Newman will take a week off before heading to Greeneville, Tenn. for the SAC Beach Challenge. The three day tournament will see the Eagles face Tusculum, Catawba and LMU in round robin play.