AVCA Division II Pool One Standings
TAVARES, Fla. - Despite two wins from Abby Streuwing and Sierra Still, Carson-Newman dropped two straight matches on day one of the AVCA Small College Championships.
The Eagles dropped the first match to the number one seed Tampa 4-1 before falling to six seeded Colorado Mesa in the afternoon 3-2.
"Today was encouraging," says head coach Cat Lind. "Our best beat the best today. It's just the little things to work on to be better tomorrow. A lot was our mentality and having the right mindset so we need to focus on that tomorrow. We have the training and the skills and we're going to string it better tomorrow."
MATCH ONE: Tampa 4, Carson-Newman 1
It was an early start for the Eagles at AVCA, falling to the number one seeded Tampa Spartans in the first match of the day by a score of 4-1.
The Spartans swung early and often with authority, as the no. four pair of Morgan Siwiec and Joy Rhodes fell in straight sets 21-10 and 21-15.
Lauren Williams was the last Eagle to earn a victory at AVCA in the squad's trip in 2019, but her and Alanis Mendez were unable to repeat the magic from two years ago, falling at the no. five position in straight sets 21-4 and 21-14.
The pair of Lindsey Geurin and Mia Toribio suffered a rare loss at the no. three position, falling 21-12 and 21-13, clinching the match for the Spartans.
At the no. one position, Megan Oldenburger and Summer Coulter played the longest set of the season for any Eagle pair, falling in set one to Tampa 32-30. The set featured five set points for each team. Oldenburger and Williams dropped the second set by a score of 21-11.
In the only game to go three sets, the no. two pair of Abby Struewing and Sierra Still took set one 21-18 before falling 21-11 in set two. In a back-and-forth third set, Struewing and Still had three straight set points with a 14-11 lead, before a 3-0 run by Tampa tied it up. Tampa never saw a match point in the third set, and the Eagle pair were eventually able to pull away for the 19-17 victory.
At the no. two position, @abby_struewing and @sierrastill1 earn the hard fought victory in three sets
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 16, 2021
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The Eagles are just the second Division-II team to win a game from the Spartans this season, the other being third ranked Palm Beach Atlantic. The win moves Struewing to 18 wins all-time, second most in program history.
MATCH TWO: Colorado Mesa 3, Carson-Newman 2
The Mavericks took advantage of early mistakes by the Eagles' lower seeds to knock off Carson-Newman 3-2 on Friday, Apr. 16.
Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez fell 21-11 in the first set at the no. five position. The pair made a run in the second set but ultimately fell 22-20.
Joy Rhodes and Morgan Siwiec fell behind early at the no. four position, losing the first set 21-13 and dropped the second set 21-17.
The Mavericks clinched the match with a win at the no. three position, knocking off Lindsey Geurin and Mia Toribio 21-14 and 21-12. It is only the second time this season that the pair have lost two matches in one day.
Carson-Newman was able to salvage two wins in two three set thrillers at the no. one and no. two positions.
Summer Coulter and Megan Oldenburger dropped the first set to the Mavs 21-19 before knocking off Colorado Mesa 21-17 in the second set. The pair used a strong third set, going up by as many as five points, before one final shot gave the Eagles the victory by a score of 15-12.
No. Quit.@oldenburgermeg and Summer Coulter earn the win in three sets at the no. one position
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 16, 2021
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Sierra Still and Abby Struewing battled for the Eagles at the no. two position, winning the first set 21-19 before falling in a wild second set 30-28. The pair started off the third set strong, pulling up to a six point lead and never looking back, earning their second victory of the day 15-9.
Finish ��@abby_struewing and @sierrastill6 earn their second victory of the day
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 16, 2021
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The win now moves Struewing into a tie for most career wins in school history with Taylor Lowe. Struewing would be the first Carson-Newman beach volleyball player ever to win at least 20 career matches with a victory.
"Sierra and Abby connect well," says Lind. "They're both very powerful and compliment each other. They focus on each other and lead themselves very well. But their communication bonds and brings them together and compliments their game a lot."
The Eagles currently sit in a tie for third in the pod with Catawba. Both teams sit at 0-2. Tampa and Colorado Mesa sit tied for first at 2-0. The Indians and Eagles will face off tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM. Carson-Newman will then have to await results of the rest of the Division-II matches to determine the challenge round match at 3:00 PM. The challenge round will consist of the top two teams from each of the three pools competing against each other on Saturday. These six teams will compete in the Gold bracket on Sunday. The bottom two teams from each of the three pools will compete in the Silver bracket on Sunday.
"We do well under pessure," says Lind. "We expect to win tomorrow but it's all about our mindset. If we focus on ourselves and our side of the court, we'll do well tomorrow."
Fans can catch all the action from Hickory Point Beach and the AVCA Small College Beach Championships live streamed on BallerTV. A special event pass priced at $50 is available to watch all matches from the championships. Links for live stats and video will be available at cneagles.com.
