JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After winning nine straight games, the Carson-Newman Eagles (20-5, 15-2 South Atlantic Conference) lost their first five-set match of the year to the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (17-7, 11-6 SAC) 17-25, 25-15, 25-21, 22-25 and 13-15 Saturday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.
"We played hard the entire time," head coach Dan Ahiers said. "We worked hard the entire time. There's a difference between losing and getting beat. Clearly Lenoir-Rhyne is a good team. They are coached by one of the best coaches in the league. It's two points that separates us in the fifth game."
After teams exchanged points through the middle of the first frame, Lenoir-Rhyne used a 7-1 run to take a 20-14 advantage before closing out the game in a set that featured 10 ties and five lead changes. Senior setter Kristen Pickett (Cleveland, Tenn.) had nine assists en route to a huge day.
Carson-Newman took control of the second stanza right out of the gates winning eight of the first 11 rallies. In a set that was never tied, senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) cranked out a kill to tie the match at one. Senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) had six kills and four digs.
The third set saw the Eagles take the first four points and lead most of the set until the Bears took a 20-18 lead. The home club responded with four of the next five to gain the edge, a lead it would never relinquish. Wilson led the way with seven kills on nine attacks for a .778 attack percentage.
The Eagles had a chance to put the match away in the fourth set but could not get over the hump after taking a lead at 11-10. The Bears used a .359 attack percentage to fend off any Carson-Newman comeback efforts. Pickett dished out 14 assists in the frame.
All things seemed sealed for Lenoir-Rhyne who took an 11-6 lead in the fifth frame, but Carson-Newman battled back in an electric gym to tie the score at 13. After a timeout by the Bears, Lenoir-Rhyne took the final two points to take the match.
Pickett matched a career-high with 58 assists tying her previous mark from October 12, 2012 at Catawba, to go along with four kills and eight digs.
Wilson compiled a season-best 20 kills for the third time this season on a staggering .486 attack percentage and two total blocks.
"I think it says that we are fighters and we are not going to give up," Wilson said of the team's effort. "We had the crowd on our side and we had each other. We just couldn't pull it out, but it shows that we won't give up."
Harper tallied her ninth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 15 digs while fellow senior outside hitter Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) racked up 14 kills on a .400 hitting percentage.
Junior outside hitter Sara Fairley (Charlotte, N.C.) had nine kills and a career-high 20 digs.
Lenoir-Rhyne was paced by Briana Gottberg's 33 assists and 12 digs while Ashley Wells had 16 kills and three digs.
Carson-Newman has six days until its next match, a road venture to Coker on Halloween at 7 p.m.
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