JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – As they try to put a senior day shutout at the hands of No. 13 Tusculum behind them, the Eagles turn their attention to their regular season as they travel to Queens for Saturday afternoon meeting.
The 9-0 loss on Tuesday marked the third of the season for Carson-Newman (7-8, 4-5 SAC) and the second against South Atlantic Conference competition. It also brought an end to the team's winning streak it was trying to rebuild with two consecutive victories.
The defeat places the Eagles in a tie for sixth in the conference standings with Anderson, still giving them a place in the SAC Tournament field.
Since the turn of the decade, Carson-Newman has gone 4-4 in regular season finale matches, 0-3 in such matches that are played against conference opposition.
Queens (11-3, 7-2 SAC), currently ranked 39th in the nation by Oracle and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, sits in a tie for third with Newberry heading into the final weekend of the regular season. They come into the match following a 9-0 win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday.
Carlotta Nassi has been the primary Royal at the top-singles position this season. Ranked 58th in the nation, the senior has garnered an 11-2 record, 7-2 against conference opposition. No. 42 Yana Fleyer has remained undefeated this season, playing all of her matches at the second-seed with a 14-0 record, 9-0 in the conference.
In doubles play, Fleyer and Sasha Davidzenka are the only nationally ranked pairing for the Royals, holding an 11-3 record. They have seen the most playing time as the No. 1 tandem with a 9-3 record. The duo has won two-straight matches. Nassi and Isabel Fornies have been the most successful pairing this season, however, with a perfect 13-0 record, 11 of those wins coming at the No. 2 spot.
Head coach Billy Boykin's group was projected to finish third in the conference this season after a 2016-17 campaign that saw Queens take a 12-4 record, 9-2 in SAC action. As the No. 2 seed in the SAC Tournament last season, the Royals were eliminated by Tusculum in the semifinals, 5-1.
This dual will mark the fifth meeting between the two teams since 2014. Carson-Newman has never seen a win against the Royals. The closest the team came to a victory was in last season match as Queens left Mossy Creek with a 6-3 victory on senior day. The Eagles were 2-1 through doubles play but the Royals dominated singles action to take the win.
First serve for Saturday's match is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Queens Sports Complex in Charlotte, N.C.
