VIDEO: Kristen Pickett Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time since the end of the 2007 season, the Carson-Newman Eagles (5-3, 1-0 South Atlantic Conference) swept the Tusculum Pioneers (1-8, 0-1 SAC) by winning 25-22, 25-20 and 25-15 Tuesday night at Holt Fieldhouse. It marked the first time since 2010 that the Eagles defeated Tusculum and won the conference opener.
"It feels great," Ahiers said of his first SAC victory. "They've got a great coach. They have three freshman that play quality minutes for them so that team is going to keep getting better. It's good to get the win now."
The first frame featured ten ties and two lead changes as neither side led by more than two points over the final 13 rallies with the Eagles taking the final four points. The final two points were won as seniors Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jenna Wilson combined for blocks.
Carson-Newman did not trail the rest of the match as an 8-3 run to get to 16-11 in the second stanza paved the way for a runaway set victory. Senior setter Kristen Pickett dished out 13 assists and tallied four digs as the Eagles hit .304 in the set.
The beginning of the third set was back-and-forth with Carson-Newman holding an 11-9 lead, but the Eagles closed out the match on a 14-6 run to take it 25-15.
Pickett was just shy of her fifth double-double of the year by piling up 34 assists and nine digs. Senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had 14 kills on a .364 attack percentage and nine digs.
"It was the first time I had ever beaten them in my career so that was an awesome feeling," Pickett said of the win. "This is what we have been working for. This is all we could have asked for and more. There are still some little things we need to work on, but it was awesome."
Junior outside hitter Sara Fairley (Charlotte, N.C.) blasted a .421 attack percentage with nine kills on the match. Santarelli had nine kills and four block assists. Sophomore libero Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) led the defense with 22 digs.
A pair of conference matches loom for the Eagles as Carson-Newman travels to Queens (N.C.) and Catawba.
- CN -
_of_Team_story.jpg?max_width=280&max_height=160&crop=true)
_of_Kristen_Pickett_story.jpg?max_width=280&max_height=160&crop=true)
