Carson-Newman Volleyball Match Notes

VIDEO: Dan Ahiers Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After setting a program record with their 14^th South Atlantic Conference victory Tuesday night at Tusculum, the Carson-Newman Eagles (19-4, 14-1 SAC) return to Holt Fieldhouse to host the Brevard Tornados (10-12, 4-11 SAC) Friday night at 7 p.m. and the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (15-7, 9-6 SAC) Saturday evening at 6 p.m.

Carson-Newman enters the weekend having won eight consecutive matches, the best streak since an eight-game winning streak from October 13, 2009 to November 3, 2009. The last time an Eagle team won more than that was a 13-game string to begin the 2007 season.

"It's impressive how well this team is playing right now," head coach Dan Ahiers said. "It's very impressive that we are finding ways to win. The sign of a great team is no matter who you are playing against, no matter what the situation is, no matter what's going on, you find a way to win."

Friday night marks the program's annual Dig Pink match where the team will wear pink uniforms and accept donations to support the local Knoxville affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, an international organization with networks of volunteers around the world fighting to find a cure for the life-threatening disease.

"It's really important to us," Ahiers said. "We've got two girls' moms on the team that have both been affected by breast cancer. Brevard did an unbelievable job when we were at their house for their Dig Pink game and we are trying to match what they did there."

The Eagles defeated the Tornados in four-set on September 26 in a match where senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) tallied her 1,000^th career kill. Senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) set a season-high with 20 kills on a .529 attack percentage.

Senior setter Kristen Pickett dished out 50 assists to go along with nine digs, three block assists and four kills.

Brevard's Savannah Cox had the best contest in a four sets against the Eagles this season in terms of attack percentage as she logged a .281 clip on 12 kills. The Tornados had 85 digs in the match, the most by an Eagle opponent in a four-set match this year.

Friday night's game marks the 17^th all-time meeting between the two schools with Carson-Newman winning the first 16 matches.

Saturday is homecoming on the Carson-Newman campus as Lenoir-Rhyne pulls into Mossy Creek.

"I'm hoping it's going to be a packed house," Ahiers said. "We player after the football game. Our football team is going to go out and dominate. Hopefully all of those fans will join us."

The Eagles were taken to four sets by the Bears on September 27 as Harper cranked out a season-high 17 kills while Pickett racked up 46 assists and 15 digs.

Lenoir-Rhyne had 51 kills in the match, the most by an Eagle opponent in a four-set match this season as preseason second-team All-SAC selection Brianna Gottberg had 40 assists and 10 digs.

The meeting will mark the 47^th matchup with the Eagles holding a 28-18 advantage in the all-time series.

Both matches will be broadcast in high definition on cneagles.com./live where live stats will also be available.

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