WISE, Va. – Carson-Newman secured its 11th conference win of the season using big blocking performances for the program's best blocking day since 2019.
Carson-Newman (15-6, 11-2 SAC) dropped its first set to UVA Wise (10-12, 4-9 SAC) since 2021, but it hardly mattered as the Eagles bounced back to dominate set three and earn a victory in set four for a swift four-set victory from the home of the Cavaliers.
After C-N took a close first set, Wise drove back in the second, taking a large lead and carrying it across the finish line. Carson-Newman head coach Cat Collins went to the bench, taking Blair Cherry off the court for the first time since the season-opening tournament in Jackson in early September due to illness.
Addie Smith (Jonesborough, Tenn.) took over at the setter role in the third and led the Eagles in the assists category with 25. Smith also found 12 digs for her first double-double in an Eagles uniform.
"We did a great job adapting to [UVA Wise's] attacking and finding ways to stop what was working for them," Collins said. "Addie [Smith] stepped up big for us today and was a big threat at the net with her blocking."
Emerson Ahsmuhs (Placentia, Calif.) put on a show as the defending SAC Offensive Player of the Week with 14 kills. Libero Bennett McCombs (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) led the charge in digs with 22, but four other Eagles were in double-digits.
Carson-Newman found success up front with 16 blocks, the first time the Eagles surpassed 15 blocks in a match since the 2019 SAC Tournament Semifinals against No. 24 Wingate. Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio) led the team in blocks with eight, all assisted.
First Set (25-20, C-N) – The Eagles overcame a mid-set 8-2 Cavalier run to win the first set from the David J. Prior Convocation Center with an 8-1 run of their own in the later stages of the opening frame. The Eagles hit .289, with four Eagles collecting three kills.
Second Set (25-20, WISE) – The Cavaliers jumped ahead early and never trailed in the set, building the lead to as large as nine. The Eagles rallied, getting as close as four points away from tying the Highland Cavaliers, but couldn't fully mount the comeback.
Third Set (25-15, C-N) – The Eagles built a 10-point lead with a 12-1 run in C-N's best set of the night. The Cavaliers never recovered as Carson-Newman found four blocks in the frame, with three from Keeran. Ahsmuhs found five kills in the set as the Eagles pulled within a set of winning their 11th conference game, matching the total from a year ago.
Fourth Set (25-23, C-N) – In a match that felt like a roller coaster, that was felt most in the fourth set. A set that featured nine ties and four lead changes. Wise had a 10-7 lead before a 6-2 C-N run gave the Eagles back the lead. Carson-Newman's blocking shined with seven blocks in the set, three each coming from Keeran and Maddie Hurst (Blaine, Tenn.). Ahsmuhs shined in the fourth as well with six kills.
The Eagles earned their 15th win overall and 11th win in conference play, surpassing last season's win total overall and matching the conference win total from a year ago.
Carson-Newman returns to the court on Friday night to take on Emory & Henry at 7:00 p.m. from Holt Fieldhouse. To keep up to date with Carson-Newman Volleyball, follow us on social media @CN_Eagles on X and on Instagram or Facebook at Carson-Newman Athletics.