DUE WEST, S.C. - The Carson-Newman beach volleyball team ended the regular season taking one of two games against Erskine in Due West.
"We had some great moments today and showed a lot of growth," says head coach Cat Lind. "We struggled stopping their runs and weren't able to pull out the outcome we wanted in the second dual. I'm proud of the way we competed in the first dual and I am confident we will learn from both rounds to further prepare us for AVCA."
MATCH ONE: Carson-Newman 3, Erskine 2
The Eagles earned their third win in a row, knocking off Erskine 3-2.
Alyssa Johnson and Piper Halcrow earned their first non-exhibition win of the year at the no. five position, winning in straight sets 21-15 and 21-12 to put the Eagles up 1-0.
Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez fell in their first match at the no. four position this year, falling in straight sets 21-12 and 21-15.
For the first time this year, Lindsey Geurin and Morgan Siwiec teamed up at the no. three position, earning a win in straight sets, 21-14 and 21-13.
Mia Toribio continued their strong season, clinching the match at the no. two position for Carson-Newman with a two-set victory, winning 21-16 and 21-17.
Summer Coulter and Abby Struewing teamed up for the first time this season at the no. one position. The senior duo fell in three sets, falling 23-21, winning the second set 21-13 before falling 15-10.
This is the second 3-2 win over the Flying Fleet for the Eagles, the last coming in the season opener in Mossy Creek on Mar. 13. It is the third 3-2 win of the season for the Eagles, the most in a single season.
This is also the squad's first ever win in the state of South Carolina. Carson-Newman had lost 25 straight matches on Sandlapper soil entering the contest.
MATCH TWO: Erskine 3, Carson-Newman 2
Carson-Newman saw their winning streak snapped in Due West on Thursday, Apr. 1, falling to Erskine 4-1.
Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez fell for the Eagles at the no. four position, winning the first set 23-21 before falling in the final two sets 21-16 and 18-15. The third set is the longest third set for an Eagle pair this season.
Alyssa Johnson and Piper Halcrow fell in three sets at the no. five position, winning the first set 21-16 before falling in the final two sets 21-18 and 15-13.
Lindsey Geurin and Morgan Siwiec couldn't keep the new pair magic going, falling in match two in straight sets 26-24 and 21-19, clinching the match for the Flying Fleet.
Mia Toribio and Sierra Still earned the sole victory for the Eagles, winning their second straight match as a pair 21-13 and 21-15.
In the final pairing, the Flying Fleet clinched the victory, knocking off Summer Coulter and Abby Struewing in a hard-fought, three set affair. The sensational seniors took the first set 21-15, only to fall 21-17 in set two before dropping the deciding set 15-12.
This is the Eagles first 4-1 loss since April 21, 2019 when Carson-Newman fell to Tusculum at the AVCA Small College Championships. Williams and Lexy Headley were the only pair to earn the win for the blue and orange in the Sunshine State.
The split sends the Eagles record to 2-11 against teams from the Palmetto State. Both wins are over the Flying Fleet.
The Eagles finish the regular season 6-4, tied for the second most amount of wins in school history set in 2020. It is already the second-most wins in school history in a full season, the record mark of 11 wins set in 2016.
Carson-Newman will take a couple of weeks off before heading to Tavares, Fla. for the 2021 AVCA Small College Championships. Seedings and the full tournament schedule will be released on Apr. 11.
