Carson-Newman Volleyball Match Notes

VIDEO: Dan Ahiers Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time in 2014, the Carson-Newman Eagles (5-3, 1-0 South Atlantic Conference) hit the road in league play to take on the Queens Royals (4-5, 1-0 SAC) and the Catawba Indians (2-4, 0-1). The Queens match is Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and the Catawba contest begins at 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

"It'd be great for our team," head coach Dan Ahiers said of the prospects of a flawless start. "We've talked about the process all season long about not just being great at the beginning or at the end, but building up throughout the whole season. This is next hurdle we have to take: learning to win on the road in conference."

Carson-Newman is coming off of its first opening win in SAC play since the 2010 season as the Eagles swept Tusculum Tuesday night at Holt Fieldhouse. It has been nine years since the Eagles started a conference campaign with a 2-0 record and Carson-Newman has not been 3-0 to start the league season since 2003.

A big part of the success for the Eagles has been the ability to put balls away as evident by a .239 attack percentage that trails only Wingate in the conference and ranks among the top-50 nationally.

Senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) has played a big role in that with a .487 attack percentage that puts her in the top-10 among all Division II players. The former Fighting Gaucho has made just one mistake for every 11 attacks this season while her blocking prowess has aided a potent block for Carson-Newman this season.

"She's just an absolute steady player," Ahiers said of Wilson. "She is not someone that rides the highs or the lows. We call her our lunch pail girl. She just brings it everyday."

Friday marks the fifth all-time meeting between Carson-Newman and Queens as the teams have split the first four contests. The Royals won both matches last year, a five-set win at Holt Fieldhouse and a sweep in Charlotte, N.C. Preseason second team All-SAC selection Elizabeth Bialkowski had a field day last year with 22 kills and just one attack error between the two matches. Senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) compiled 30 kills and 24 digs during the two hotly contested matches.

The Indians hold a 32-22 advantage on Carson-Newman in the all-time series, but the Eagles earned a pair of four-set victories a season ago. Carson-Newman pummeled Catawba by hitting over .300 in a pair of matches last year as senior outside hitter Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had 11 kills in each of the two matches in 2013.

Be sure to follow @CNathletics on Twitter for the most current updates on the matches this weekend and all of the most current Eagle news.

- CN -