LAGRANGE, Ga. - Carson-Newman begins its season with a pair of wins against LaGrange College and Truett McConnell University on Friday, Feb. 3rd. The Eagles swept LaGrange 5-0 and cruised over Truett McConnell with a score of 4-1.
"We put in great work today," head coach Cat Lind said. Each pair saw growth, and I'm proud of how we started our season."
C-N vs. LaGrange: 5-0
The Eagles began the season with a matchup against LaGrange College in LaGrange, Ga. Carson-Newman moves to 2-0 now against the Panthers. The Eagles have won both matchups 5-0 despite having played both matches at LaGrange's Strack Beach Volleyball Courts.
Graduate transfer Truth Hafey (Grand Junction, Co.) and junior Sierra Still (Julian, N.C.) lifted the Eagles to their first win of the season. Playing in the no. one spot, the Eagles took on Zentrina Choice and Bailey Moss. Hafey and Still won in sets of 21-10 and 21-11.
Freshman Ava Fountain (Lake Placid, Fl.) and senior Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Co.) squared off against Carmen Hamilton and Riley Morgan. The orange and blue duo won in a pair of 21-7 sets.
Junior Julia Wheeler (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Junior McKenna Hall (Bristol, Wisc.) took on Morgan Martin and Alexis Childers. Wheeler and Hall came out of the gates hot with a 21-9 first-set victory. The Panthers came back in the second set to win 21-19. Wheeler and Hall took control of the final set with a 15-9 victory.
Junior Taylor Keeran (Galion, Oh.) and senior Kenzie Palmer (Flagstaff, Ariz.) matched up against Vianca Colon-Gonzalez and Rhaya Harwell. The Eagles dominated the first set 21-8 and held off a potential comeback to beat the panthers 21-17 in the second set.
LaGrange forfeited the fifth match due to a lack of available players. Senior Piper Halcrow (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) and Freshman Ashlyn Phair (Colorado Springs, Co.) faced off against Riley Morgan and Shania Espada in an exhibition match. The Eagles breezed by the Panthers in a 21-14, 21-5 victory.
C-N vs. Truett McConnell: 5-0
The Eagles took on Truett McConnell for the first time in program history. Truett McConnell is in just their second season. In their inaugural season, the Bears finished with a record of 5-25, including 19 5-0 losses.
Still and Hafey remained in the no. one spot for the day's second game. The Eagles duo won in sets of 21-18 and 21-10. Still remains fourth in all-time wins in program history with 28. She is just one short of Mia Toribio's 29 and four behind Morgan Siwiec's 32.
Fountain and Hildenbrand continued the dominance over the Bears into the second match. The Eagles' pair won in sets of 21-11 and 21-16.
Wheeler and Hall matched up against Truett McConnell's Katie Williams and Mady Dunn. Wheeler and Hall coasted to a win with sets of 21-10 and 21-15.
Palmer and Keeran remained in the four spot for the Eagles in the second game. The pair found traction late in their first set to pull away with a 21-17 win. The Eagles carried the momentum into the second set, winning 21-6.
Halcrow and Phair received their first meaningful action of the season. The pair started strong with a 21-16 win. The Bears rallied back to win 21-16 in the second set. The Eagles regained momentum and won 15-9 in the overtime set to solidify the second goose egg on the day.
Kat Nelson and Calla Shotwell played an exhibition match against the Bears. The duo lost in sets of 21-19 and 21-13.
"We've set high goals and standards for ourselves this season," Lind said. Our goal is 20 wins, but we will take it one game at a time. Twenty wins start with games one and two, and now we learn from today and look ahead to three and four."
To stay updated on Carson-Newman's beach volleyball team, visit CNEagles.com, or follow Carson-Newman Athletics.
