JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the fifth time in 2016 Carson-Newman won the first set before falling to Wingate in four frames 25-22, 17-25, 15-25 and 23-25 Saturday evening at Holt Fieldhouse in South Atlantic Conference play.
"Our kids played with great energy and passion today," Carson-Newman coach Dave Franklin said. "We executed at a high level against a very high level opponent. In the end, they made a few more plays than us. There is nothing to hang our heads on today. The homecoming crowd was awesome today and offered great support to the intensity of the match."
Carson-Newman (3-22, 2-15) won the first frame for the first time since Oct. 14, a span of seven matches, as freshman outside hitter Marnie Streeter (Goldvein, Va.) had five kills and a .308 attack percentage. The score was tied 10 times and there were five lead changes. The Eagles trailed 21-18 but won seven of the next eight rallies to take the set on a smash from Streeter.
In the second stanza, the Eagles hit .000 as the Bulldogs had four blocks. After C-N took a 5-4 lead, Wingate (23-4, 15-3) went on a 10-4 spurt to take control of the set and locked it down on the home team's ninth attack error of the set.
The score was equalized at six when the Bulldogs reeled off nine of 11 points to surge ahead by seven. The closest C-N would get the rest of the way was six points in a 10-point loss.
The final frame featured nine ties and four lead changes as Wingate outhit Carson-Newman .364 to .250. The 'Dogs led 14-11 when the Eagles rattled off eight of the next 12 to take a 19-17 advantage. Moments later, Franklin's team had a 23-21 lead but Wingate won the final four points to capture the match.
In the contest, Carson-Newman finished with a .131 hitting percentage with 69 digs, seven blocks and four service aces compared to Wingate's .245 clip, 73 scoops, nine rejections and four aces.
Streeter notched a match-high 14 kills as the only Eagle with double-digit kills on the day.
Junior setter Anna Patton (Franklin, Tenn.) tallied her 10th double-double of the year with 34 assists and 12 digs while senior libero Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) compiled a match-high 23 digs.
A trio of Bulldogs piled up double-digit kill efforts as Abby Saehler had 12 kills and 17 digs. Oakley Attaway had 13 kills and eight digs and Katie Bludau finished with 11 kills.
Rachel Alles had 39 assists, nine digs and six kills and Treslyn Ortiz finished with 21 digs.
Carson-Newman begins its final road swing of the year with a visit to Mars Hill Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to face a Lions team that the Eagles swept on Sept. 9.
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