VIDEO: Ashley Tiernan Interview
VIDEO: Skylor Weaver Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Julia Wheeler, Skylor Weaver and Taylor Keeran combined for 28 of Carson-Newman's 38 kills and the Eagles stymied Newberry's attack in a straight set victory, 25-12, 25-17 and 25-17, Friday evening at Holt Fieldhouse in South Atlantic Conference action.
Wheeler (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) rebounded from a season-low in kills on Thursday with her 18th double-digit kill effort of the season, the lone player with 10 or more, finishing with 11 on a .265 hitting percentage.
Weaver (Katy, Texas) continued a string of recent success with nine kills and no errors hitting .529 with three aces, three blocks and three digs. Keeran (Galion, Ohio) tallied eight smashes and three block assists.
"I think it was our team connection especially with Abbey," Weaver said. "We were working it really hard. We had that dig and the set and it was perfect. Our team is connecting so well. I know so much more about my teammates now. This is the end of the season but we are really connecting. After yesterday, we sat in the locker room and talked and it's coming together so well."
On the evening, the Eagles hit .250 as a team, the seventh time that the club has hit at least that number in a match adding seven blocks and five aces. Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) posted 25 assists, 19 digs and four kills on six swings. Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) and Blake Cherry (Cookeville, Tenn.) each had double-digit digs with 17 and 12 respectively.
1️⃣1️⃣ @juliawheerr kills
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) October 30, 2021
1️⃣9️⃣ digs and 2️⃣9️⃣ assists from @abbeyh65
3️⃣ @skylorweaver_ blocks
8️⃣ straight @CarsonNewmanVB wins over Newberry pic.twitter.com/4CSxjYQoGO
Carson-Newman (16-11, 9-5) beat Newberry (10-11, 4-9) for the eighth consecutive meeting holding the Wolves to a minus-.061 hitting margin, the first time since the spring SAC Quarterfinals against Limestone that a foe failed to hit at least zero.
The Eagles frustrated the league's leader in kills per set holding Natasha Bannister to nine kills and seven errors. It was just the third time in the last 16 matches she failed to hit double digits after entering the night posting 3.68 kills per set.
"We talked a lot about defense after last night's match," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "We really focused on watching attack approaches for our block and focusing on arm swings on our defense. Instead of just going where the paper says to go on defense, we read and attacked them defensively.
"We know that if we shut down any outside on any team in our conference we have a really good shot at winning. We really made sure we stay focused on where our block was set against her. We pressured her out of serve receive so that those errors were there."
Carson-Newman racked up three blocks, four aces and forced Newberry into eight attack errors to pull away in the first. Using runs of 5-0 and 6-0, the Eagles closed out the game on a 14-4 burst to cruise in the first frame limiting the visitors to a minus-.091 hitting mark.
Once again errors plagues the Wolves in the second stanza with a dozen errors and just nine kills but the club was able to take a 9-7 lead. C-N responded by winning six straight using a 13-4 burst to go on top 20-13 before Weaver put the finishing touches on a 2-0 lead.
The Orange and Blue busted out in the third hitting .483 with 16 smashes in the third set as Newberry finally climbed about zero with nine kills and eight misfires. C-N started the set with an 8-0 burst, the second-longest scoring run of the year. Newberry battled but the Eagles were too much with Hildenbrand putting the finishing touches on the sweep.
Outside of Bannister, no one on the Wolves roster registered more than three kills and Baylor Herlehy was the only player other than Bannister with multiple kills to not have more errors than blasts totaling two.
Avery Webb posted 19 assists and 12 digs and Amanda Berecz had a dozen digs. Bannister led all players with 21 scoops.
The Eagles are back in action with a midweek road trip to Lincoln Memorial Tuesday night at 7 p.m. looking to sweep the season series with the Railsplitters.
- CN -
