JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman will honor a trio of terrific seniors Friday night as the Eagles host their final regular-season match of the year slated to start at 7 p.m. against Limestone from Holt Fieldhouse in South Atlantic Conference action.
"It's going to bring tears to my eyes because I am so proud of those three," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "I am so excited for those three. They have all three brought something massive to this program and I am excited to keep one of them for another year. It's going to be a heart-wrenching day because those three are not only great volleyball players but they are amazing human beings and they have done some massive, massive things for this program."
The Eagles will honor Julia Wheeler (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) and Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) in a pregame ceremony for a senior class that has amassed 14 career individual awards and been a key part of the program winning 20 matches in a year in 2022 for the 12th time in school history.
Carson-Newman (21-4, 12-2) collides with Limestone (9-8, 6-8) for the eighth time overall leading 6-1 with four straight wins dropping one set during that stretch. The Saints have lost each meeting since joining the SAC with their last victory coming on Oct. 23, 2010.
In the first meeting this year, the Orange and Blue improve to 3-0 in league action with a four-set win in Gaffney, S.C. on Sept. 10. Wheeler matched a career-high with an outrageous 27 kills making just four mistakes on a .348 attack percentage. She added 18 digs for a third straight double-double. It tied the second-most kills in a match during the program's history with her own record from a year ago.
Limestone comes to town coming off of a four-set win over UVA Wise last Saturday snapping a three-game losing streak that saw the team fall in a pair of five-set contests. The Saints are a rare team that struggles at home going 2-5 but excels on the road posting a 5-3 mark with a 2-0 record in neutral matches.
Keeping plays alive has been the team's calling card ranking 27th in the country and second in the conference with 17.46 digs per set led by Gabby Wessels who sits third in the league with 5.03. She has been in double figures in every match with 11 of the 17 hitting at least 20.
While the team ranks 259th in the country in aces per set with 1.23, Tatum Riddle is fifth in the league with 0.45 on average. She has 30 of the team's 86 for the year including 12 in the last two matches and 19 in her last six overall.
Coach Brandon Skweres has been looking for someone to fill the void left by Mia Martinez who was posting 3.39 kills per set but was limited to five matches for the year. Riddle leads the club as it stands with 2.81 per set but has 12 kills and 16 attack errors in the last two matches after registering five straight in double figures including two with 20 plus.
In the first tussle, Emily was the only player for the Saints to finish with 10-plus kills posting 11 of her 31 for the year. She has only played in four matches since the September meeting posting a kill in one of those affairs, five against Wingate on Oct. 8.
Fans can use their FloSports subscription or sign up for one to watch the every contest all season long. Follow along to @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.
- CN -
