BOX SCORE: vs Florida Southern
TAVARES, Fla. - Abby Struewing became the Carson-Newman beach volleyball program's all-time wins leader but the team dropped a pair of matches on day two of the AVCA Small College Championships.
After two lightning delays totaling an hour and 45 minutes, the Eagles blew a 2-0 lead to Catawba, falling to the Indians 3-2 before dropping the challenge round match to Florida Southern 4-1 on Saturday, Apr. 17.
"Today was not what we wanted," says head beach volleyball coach Cat Lind. "Having to come out after a long break and wait awhile in the heat doesn't help either. It was an emotional day and we probably showed too many emotions. But we competed and we'll come out tomorrow and play better."
MATCH ONE - Catawba 3, Carson-Newman 2
Despite a record-setting day for Abby Struewing, the Eagles squandered a 2-0 lead, falling to Catawba 3-2 on Saturday, Apr. 17.
Struewing and her partner Sierra Still continued their hot streak, winning at the no. two position in dominant fashion, winning in straight sets 21-15 and 21-10. It is the pair's fifth straight win of the season and sits the pair at an overall record of 8-3.
With the win, Struewing becomes the first ever Carson-Newman beach volleyball player to record 20 wins since the program's creation in 2015. 14 of Struewing's wins have come in the last two seasons, all at the no. two position.
The win also moved Still to 10 wins this season, giving the freshman a 10-3 record, the best on the team and already placing her inside the top-five for most wins in a season. Still has played every single match at the no. two position.
"Abby is such a gift for us," says Lind. "Her leadership and competitiveness are strong as is Sierra's. They work very well together and compliment each other well."
Megan Oldenburger and Summer Coulter won their second straight match of the weekend, rolling in straight sets 21-15 and 21-8 and giving Carson-Newman a 2-0 lead.
Catawba rallied at the no. three position, knocking off Lindsey Geurin and Mia Toribio in straight sets 21-18 and 23-21.
The final two matchups went to dramatic third sets. At the no. four position, Joy Rhodes and Morgan Siwiec rallied after dropping the first set 21-18 to extend the match with a 26-24 win. The pair ultimately fell 15-13 in the final set.
With the score tied at two, the Eagles looked to have the match won after Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez rolled in the first set 21-10 and held a three-point lead late in the second set. The Indians rallied and took advantage of costly errors by the tandem, winning the second set 21-19 before winning the final set 15-13 and clinching the match for Catawba.
The loss is the first loss by the Eagles to a South Atlantic Conference team since falling to Lincoln Memorial 3-2 on Mar. 7, 2020 in LaGrange, Ga. The loss also ends a two-match winning streak against teams from the state of North Carolina, after the Eagles knocked off St. Andrews in two matches earlier this season.
MATCH TWO - Florida Southern 4, Carson-Newman 1
Lindsey Geurin and Mia Toribio earned their first win of the weekend but it wasn't enough to rally the Eagles, as Carson-Newman fell to the Mocs 4-1 in the challenge round of the AVCA Small College Championships.
The pair returned to their dominant ways, winning in straight sets 21-18 before closing out the match with a 21-16 victory and earning the pair their first win since Mar. 31 against St. Andrews.
What a performance.@lindseygeurin and Mia Toribio roll in straight sets and we're all tied up in Tavares
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 17, 2021
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At the no. four position, Joy Rhodes and Morgan Siwiec dropped the match 21-15 and 21-8 to let the Mocs tie it up 1-1.
Sierra Still and Abby Struewing suffered their first defeat of the weekend, falling in straight sets 21-12 and 21-17. It is the pair's first loss since falling to Division I Coastal Carolina on Mar. 28.
Lauren Williams and Alanis Mendez dropped a wild first set 27-25 at the no. five position before an 8-0 run by the Mocs ended a dominant set by Florida Southern, winning the second set 21-7.
Summer Coulter and Megan Oldenburger dropped the first set 21-15 before rallying in the second set 23-21 to tie the match up before ultimately falling in the third set 15-11.
The Eagles have now lost 10 straight matches against teams from the state of Florida, the last win a 4-1 win over Webber International on March 10, 2016.
With the 0-4 record on the weekend, Carson-Newman was given the five seed in the Division II silver bracket and will play rival Tusculum at 8:00 am in the single elimination tournament's first round on Sunday, Apr. 18. Carson-Newman earned their first ever win over the Pioneers back on Mar. 13 in a game that was shortened due to darkness 3-1.
If the Eagles win, they will face the one seed in the bracket Wayne State at 10:00 am. The silver bracket championship is set for 12:00 PM on Sunday, Apr. 18.
"We need to make sure that we have a greeat mental state and mindset before what could be a long day tomorrow," says Lind.
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.
