VIDEO: Ashley Tiernan Interview
VIDEO: Kaina Roehrkasse Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Megan Oldenburger pounded out a career-high 24 kills and Kaina Roehrkasse notched six rejections to power Carson-Newman to a five-set, 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 21-25 and 15-9, South Atlantic Conference triumph over Queens Friday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.
"They were significantly great for us in the huddles," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "Megan was doing a great job adjusting her shots and Kaina being big in the middle. All of our blockers had to make sure that they were pressing over the net because they were getting some points on us that we normally don't let get by so we really had to be sure that we were smart about our blocking."
Carson-Newman (2-0, 2-0) secures its first five-set win over Queens (1-1, 1-1) in the series history winning back-to-back matches over the Royals for the first time since the 2015 season.
Oldenburger tallied 24 kills hitting .300 adding 14 digs for her second double-double of the year. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native became the first Eagle with 20-plus kills since Marnie Streeter had 24 against Anderson in the SAC semifinals on Nov. 17, 2017, 68 matches and 1,226 days ago.
Roehrkasse filled up the stat sheet in her first match of the year with six kills, six blocks and a career-high nine digs. The Fort Collins, Colo. native registered five-plus blocks for the third time in her career and first since doing so in the 2019 SAC semis against Wingate on Nov. 22, 2019.
"We really have been focusing on that in practice on our eye work," Roehrkasse said. "We have had the whole fall to work on that and I think it really showed today. Both me and Katie [Parnell]. As middles we don't get to see the backcourt very much but I did get a little lucky on some balls."
Each setter produced a double-double led by 25 assists and 11 digs from Taylor Rohr (Windsor, Colo.). Madison Rademacher (Broomfield, Colo.) added 22 assists and a dozen digs. Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) gobbled up 33 digs.
2⃣4⃣ @oldenburgermeg kills
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 6, 2021
3⃣3⃣ @hbarton12 digs
2⃣5⃣ @tohr14 assists
6⃣ @kainalope blocks
1⃣ @CarsonNewmanVB win pic.twitter.com/txNBxgGYHg
The Eagles raced out to a 10-3 lead and held the same margin at 13-6 in the first set before Queens found its stroke rattling off nine of 11 to tie the game at 15. After the teams traded the next six rallies, C-N ripped off eight of the final 10 points of the set clinching a 1-0 start on a combination block by Edwards and Parnell.
In the second set, the teams were tied seven times but C-N once again held an early lead this time at 10-4 before the visitors stormed back to tie the score at 13. It would be tied thrice more including at 20. Tiernan's group rallied to go ahead 24-22 before Oldenburger lined a ball off of the ball and into the seats to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
Queens took early control in the third but it was tied at 10 through 20 rallies. The Royals took charge ripping off eight of 10 to open up their largest lead of the day at 19-13. Carson-Newman responded by taking six of the next seven to pull within a point at 20-19. It was a one-point set twice more before the visitors rallied to close it out on a kill from Casey Tarvin.
After a 7-2 sequence put Queens on top 10-6 in the fourth, the Royals pushed the margin out to five at 18-13. C-N responded with five unanswered and used a 3-0 sequence to hop ahead 21-20 but the Royals scored five unanswered with a smash from Abbey Criser closing out the frame and forcing a fifth.
Carson-Newman rattled off 10 of the first 13 points of the fifth set and despite surrendering four straight points, closed out the match on a kill from Joy Rhodes (Youngsville, N.C.).
Casey Tarvin led the Royals with 21 kills adding 16 digs and three aces. Brooke Farley piled up 45 assists adding 11 digs and Jaycee Jones led the crew with 31 digs.
Carson-Newman wraps up the three-match homestand on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Limestone with broadcast coverage airing on cneagles.com/live courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.
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