JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Announced this morning by the league, three Eagles have been named to the 2023 SAC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference team.
Julia Wheeler, Blake Cherry, and Emmagrace Cobb represent Carson-Newman as the 2023 volleyball season rolls around with all three voted onto the all-league first team. Carson-Newman athletics has not seen three of its volleyball athletes on this roster at one time since 2005 with Kari Gibson, Kelli Sorensen, and Blaire Young wearing jerseys.
"All three of those athletes have done tremendous things for this program since they've gotten here" says head coach Ashley Tiernan. "All three of them encompass our culture and thats number one. Because of that we were able to take their athletic ability and create something out of them to be on this first team preseason poll. They all bring something different to the court and are very very consistent players."
Carson-Newman names have decorated pre-season All-SAC teams for six years in a row now, five years of which have had first team selections. Reigning 2022 pre-season pick Julia Wheeler is one of six athletes in Carson-Newman history to make first team in pre-season two years in a row.
The outside hitter from Murfreesboro, Tenn. has made a name for herself at Carson-Newman after transferring from Tennessee Tech in 2021. Wheeler was named honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after a record breaking 2022 season, marking only the second volleyball player in C-N history to win such an award. Her kill per set average on the season (4.38) made her a three-time offensive player of the week for SAC and a three-time player of the week for TSWA.
Wheeler ranked nationally on multiple occasions, coming 6th in total kills (504), 10th in kills per set (4.38), and 10th in points per set (4.83) to be awarded a spot on the 2022 D2CCA second team All-American squad. Her list of awards in 2022 continues with first team all SAC, SAC all-tournament, D2CCA first team all-region, and AVCA first team all-region.
Alongside Julia Wheeler, Emmagrace Cobb has been named to the South Atlantic Conference pre-season conference team. The middle blocker from Greensboro, N.C. is a force to be reckoned with on the net finishing eighth in the SAC for blocks per set (0.89) and 12th in hitting percentage (.298). Cobb led the team in blocks 23 times with 102 total stuffs on the season and a 1.81 kill per set average to earn a 2022 third-team All-SAC award.
Cobb recorded four games last season with double-digit kill statistics. She holds a career high of 15.5 points against Mars Hill on Oct. 25, taking 11 kills and 5.5 blocks against the mountain lions.
Blake Cherry is the third Eagle named to the SAC pre-season first team for 2023. Cherry led the league in 2022 in service aces with 52, ranking her 44th nationally. She earned third team All-SAC honors alongside Cobb last season as well as a defensive player of the week laurel on Oct. 31. She recorded eight double-doubles as a sophomore, participating in every one of the 33 matches. Cherry marked a career high of four aces against UVA Wise on Sept. 17, a career high of 17 kills against Georgia college, and a career high of 28 digs against Mars Hill on Oct. 25. She also made all-SAC freshman team after the 2021 season.
