JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Looking to build off of their hot start, the Carson-Newman beach volleyball team returns to the banks of Mossy Creek for a doubleheader matchup against Catawba on Saturday, Mar. 19.
The Eagles enter the weekend at 8-4 overall and have won five of their last seven matches. Of their four losses, three have come against Division-I teams. The Eagles' first loss of the season came to SAC rival Tusculum in Greeneville.
"We're working really hard and peaking at the right moment," says head beach volleyball coach Cat Lind. "We really have a lot of depth this year and that's been the difference. We have so many athletes that are versatile and can play multiple positions, allowing us to mix up pairs and lineups."
Carson-Newman is coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Govs Beach Challenge at Austin Peay University. The Eagles dropped a pair of contests to the host Govs and Chattanooga before rolling over Jacksonville State 4-1 last Friday. The win gave C-N their second win of the season over a Division-I opponent, the first time the sand eagles have won multiple games against Division-I opponents since defeating Eastern Kentucky twice in 2019.
Individually, Lindsey Geurin continues to climb up the leaderboards, with 24 career victories. Her 24-13 career record equates to a .648 winning percentage, the highest in program history.
"Lindsey is one of the main people that has built a strong foundation for us," says Lind. "She's a hard worker and is a gritty leader for us. She has so many skills aside from volleyball that make her a great leader and a great person, not just a good volleyball player."
Three Carson-Newman players can eclipse 20 wins this weekend. Sierra Still and Morgan Siwiec both sit at 19 career victories during their time in Mossy Creek. Still has impressed in just two seasons playing with the Eagles, holding a 19-11 career record and a .633 winning percentage.
Mia Toribio can earn her 20th career victory with a sweep against Catawba this weekend. The Houston, Texas native holds an 18-15 career record in three seasons with Carson-Newman.
Catawba enters the weekend at 1-6-1 overall and have lost six straight matches. The Indians have not played a match since Mar. 5 when they dropped a pair of matches to Carson-Newman in Salisbury. Catawba's Mar. 7 match against Truett McConnell was cancelled due to weather conditions.
The Eagles and Indians are tied at two wins apiece in the series. Catawba won matchups at the AVCA Small College Championships and SAC Beach Challenge in 2021, while Carson-Newman earned a pair of 4-1 victories earlier this season in the Tarheel State. This will be the first time the two have faced off in Mossy Creek, and is already the third different state the two SAC rivals have competed against each other in the short series.
Individually, Dara Kane & Raytchelle Miranda have played just four matches this season but have a 3-1 record on the year playing all four contests at the no. one position. The pair split against Still and Kenzie Palmer the last time they met, falling in straight sets in the first match before knocking off the duo in three sets in match two.
Payton Medich and Arianna Colon hold a 3-4 record this season, primarily playing at the no. two position. The pair also split against the Eagles the last they they faced off, winning in straight sets in the first match before falling in three sets in match two to Abbey Hildenbrand and Jenny Ille.
"We were missing one of our top players the last time we played them so hopefully we'll be more complete this time," says Lind. "I'm interested to see how we can mix up lineups against them. They have very strong players, and their twos pair is one of the best we will play against this season. It should be a very competitive matchup."
The first match of the doubleheader will start at noon at the Carson-Newman beach volleyball courts with the second match starting right after. Fans can attend all Carson-Newman home beach volleyball matches for free. The Carson-Newman beach volleyball courts are located on the edge of campus, across the street from Appalachian Commons on Ken Sparks Way.
