VIDEO: Dave Franklin Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman first-year head volleyball coach Dave Franklin has unveiled his team's 2016 slate, featuring and octet of teams that made last season's NCAA tournament field. 

Carson-Newman is looking to follow up a historic run last season that saw the program snag its first ever Southeast Region title.

The Eagles crank open the year with a staunch challenge.  Carson-Newman heads to Pensacola, Fla. to take part in a tournament hosted by West Florida.  The Eagles open that tournament with defending national champion Wheeling Jesuit before taking on Central Missouri, Findlay and the host Argonauts.  All four teams made the NCAA tournament.

"That's a sign of the girls' efforts over the past couple years under coach Dan Ahiers," Franklin said before channeling Ric Flair. "To be the best, you have to beat the best.  We eventually want to be the best, so we need to play these teams.  We don't have a lot of out of conference matchups to use, but this first weekend will show us where we are and where we need to be."

The Cardinals swept Palm Beach Atlantic for their first NCAA title in school history.  Findlay, seeded fourth in the Midwest, took a 3-1 decision from Hillsdale before bowing out in the second round to Ferris State.  Central Missouri was seeded second in the Central region, but lost in the opening round of the tournament to Wayne State (Neb.), who would go on to defeat Carson-Newman in the Elite Eight 3-1.  West Florida was also eliminated in the opening round of the tournament.

Following the Eagles' foray to Florida, Carson-Newman opens up conference play with a matchup against Mars Hill inside Holt Fieldhouse Sept. 9.  That starts a three-game home stand for the Eagles that also features rivalry meetings with Tusculum and Lincoln Memorial.

"With 22 matches in our conference, that's big for regional rankings and a chance to make the NCAA tournament," Franklin said. "Hopefully we can take the lessons we learn from that first weekend and quickly apply them to conference play that will largely help determine the success of our season."

Carson-Newman follows up that three-game stint inside Holt Fieldhouse by playing six of the next eight away from the Eagles' friendly confines. 

C-N returns home Oct. 14 for its final four nonconference matches.  The Eagles will tangle with Lander, Georgia College, Augusta and USC Aiken in a SAC/Peach Belt Challenge inside Holt Fieldhouse.  Both Lander and USC Aiken made last year's NCAA tournament.

That starts off a nine-game stretch for the Eagles that will see them play at home eight times.  The homestand concludes on homecoming weekend Oct. 29 with a meeting with NCAA tournament foe Wingate.

"I know that the top teams in conference graduated a little bit, but they also bring a lot back," Franklin said. "I think any team in this league can beat another on any given night.  That level of competition will be awesome for our girls because it means they have to bring it every time they take the court."

Carson-Newman closes out the year Nov. 11-12 with Brevard and a Southeast Region title game rematch with Lenoir-Rhyne.