CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - A strong second match helped the Eagles salvage a split in their first road matches of the season.
"UT-Chattanooga is a talented team and I am proud of the way we competed against them," says Head Coach Cat Lind. "We had a slow start, but trusted the process and responded with a competitive mindset. We learned a lot and I know this dual will help prepare us for this weekend."
MATCH ONE: Chattanooga 5, Carson-Newman 0
The Mocs won their first match in program history with a 5-0 win over Carson-Newman.
Alyssa Johnson and Piper Halcrow earned the exhibition win in two sets, winning 21-17 and 21-8 in a dominating performance.
At the no. five position, Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez took their opponents to a third set for the third straight match in a row, but would fall 21-16, 21-12, and 15-12 in a hard fought battle.
The no. four group of Morgan Siwiec and Joy Rhodes fell in their first three set match of the season 21-19, 21-16 and 15-9. It is the pair's third straight loss to begin the season.
The no. three group of Mia Toribio and Lindsey Geurin dropped their first match of the season, losing in three sets 21-15, 21-16 and 15-12 in their second straight third-set match of the year. The loss helped Chattanooga clinch the match.
At the no. two position, Abby Struewing and Sierra Still dropped their first match of the season, falling in straight sets 22-20 and 21-19. This is Still's first career loss at Carson-Newman.
The no. one group of Megan Oldenburger and Summer Coulter fell for the first time this season, losing 21-19 and 21-19 as the Mocs completed the sweep
This is the first time since April 20, 2019 that Carson-Newman beach volleyball has been swept 5-0. The Eagles dropped a pair of matches to St. Leo and Tampa at the AVCA Small College Championships.
MATCH TWO: Carson-Newman 3, Chattanooga 2
Thanks to the pairing of Mia Toribio and Lindsey Geurin, the Eagles walked out of the Scenic City with a 3-2 win over Chattanooga.
Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez earned their second win of the season with a decisive two-set sweep of the Mocs, winning 21-13 and 21-18. This was the pairs first match that did not go three sets so far this season.
Morgan Siwiec and Joy Rhodes dropped their fourth game in a row, falling in straight sets 21-13 and 21-16.
Sierra Still and Abby Struewing showed off their dominance at the no. two position with a resounding two-set sweep, knocking off their opponents 21-15 and 21-13.
With a 2-1 lead, Toribio and Geurin clinched the match with a three-set victory, winning the first set 21-18, dropping the second set 21-12 and clinching the match with a 15-11 win in the final set.
Chattanooga managed to grab an extra victory, knocking off Summer Coulter and Megan Oldenburger in three sets 21-19, 21-16 and 15-12.
Alyssa Johnson and Piper Halcrow earned another exhibition victory, winning 21-14 and 21-15
The match is the first win over a Division I team for the Eagles since knocking off Eastern Kentucky on Mar. 31, 2019. It is also the first true road victory since defeating LaGrange in Georgia on Mar. 6, 2020.
The pairings of Still and Struewing and Toribio and Guerin lead the team with a 3-1 record so far this season. Johnson and Halcrow are also 3-1 this season, but all of their victories have come in exhibition matches.
The Eagles will head to the Palmetto State to take on Coastal Carolina in a doubleheader on Sunday, Mar. 28. The showdown between the Chants and the Eagles begins at 10:00 AM.
