EMORY, Va. – Carson-Newman improved to 2-0 in SAC play with its first sweep of the season over a reeling Emory & Henry side.
The Eagles (6-3, 2-0 SAC) limited Emory & Henry (1-7, 0-2 SAC) to a -.049 hitting percentage, the first time Carson-Newman has held an opponent to a negative hitting percentage since September 12 of last year, also against the Wasps. Maddie Hurst (Blaine, Tenn.) led the charge individually, collecting 11 kills and hitting .476 on the night.
"We've put a lot of work in on our blocking, and tonight, it really showed." Carson-Newman volleyball head coach Cat Collins said. "Looking forward to this weekend off and using our practice time to fine-tune for our next games."
First Set (25-11, C-N) - The Eagles came out soaring in the first set, never looking back after taking an early 2-1 set lead. Four service aces helped C-N and three blocks, leading the Eagles to a .455 hitting percentage in the first set while the Wasps had all zeros in the same statistic. It was an all-around team effort leading to a dominant first set victory for Carson-Newman as of the 12 team kills in the frame, no individual had more than three.
Second Set (25-21, C-N) - Emory & Henry responded, jostling for the lead early in the second set before an 8-4 run helped Carson-Newman pull away, scoring two points for every E&H point during that stretch. The offense shined through in the frame as 15 of the Eagles' 25 points came from kills, five from the powerful swing of Emerson Ahsmuhs (Placentia, Calif.), and four from veteran Blake Cherry (Cookeville, Tenn.).
Third Set (25-18, C-N) - The Wasps would not go down quietly in front of their home fans at the King Center, jumping out to a 13-7 lead from multiple Eagle attack errors. However, a C-N block and two Wasp attack errors were all it took for the tide to shift as the Eagles found their rhythm, ending the set on a monstrous 13-2 run to break out the brooms and sweep the hosts.
Highlights – Blake Cherry took home Food City Player of the Game honors, collecting seven kills, ten digs, and three aces on the night. Maddie Hurst led the team in kills with 11, and Blair Cherry led the Eagles in assists for the ninth straight match to open the season with 27.
The sweep is the first for Carson-Newman away from Holt Fieldhouse since September 20 last season in a win at UVA-Wise. The Eagles have now won all five meetings with Emory & Henry and lead the all-time sets 15-2.
The Eagles return to Holt Fieldhouse on Tuesday, September 24, for their next match against Limestone. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Admission is free for students, faculty, and anyone under 18, while general admission is $5. Fans not making it to the game can watch with a subscription on FloSports or follow along on X @CN_Eagles.