JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman's beach volleyball (8-0) looks to extend their winning streak in Rome, Ga., with matchups against Tennessee Tech and Berry College on Friday, Feb. 23rd, before playing Spartanburg Methodist on Saturday, Feb. 24th.
"Tennessee Tech will be a nice challenge for us. It is nice to play teams that train similarly to us," beach volleyball head coach Cat Lind said. "All of these programs are new, which shows us that we don't know what they look like. I know they're all well-trained, so it'll be exciting to see better competition for us."
The Eagles began the season 8-0 for the first time in program history. The eight-game win streak snaps their previous best of five wins in a row set during the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season. If the Eagles pick up two wins over the weekend, they'll break a program record for wins in a month. The current record sits at nine, set last year in March.
"We just want to keep it going because we know it is going to get harder, so our mindset is that we have to keep getting better, we have to train harder, and we have to do things with more finesse," Lind said.
Sierra Still moved into first place in career wins in program history with 33. Mia Toribio sits at fourth with 29, McKenna Hall and Taylor Keeran are tied for fifth with 23. Hall ranks first in win percentage with 65.7% after 35 career games.
Tennessee Tech's beach volleyball is beginning its inaugural season this weekend, with their first matchup being against Spartanburg Methodist at 9:00 A.M., followed by a contest with Carson-Newman at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, Feb. 24th.
Berry College (3-0) began its second season in program history this year. The team finished its inaugural season last year with a record of 6-14. The Vikings started this season with a 3-2 win against Truett McConnell. They went on to win 5-0 against Loyola University (New Orleans). Their most recent action came against the University of Mobile (Ala.) when they won 4-1.
The Eagles will close out the weekend with a matchup against Spartanburg Methodist (0-3). The Pioneers held a record of 14-15 in their inaugural season last year. Their season was highlighted with a 3-2 victory over St. Johns River State College, earning third place at the AVCA Two-Year Beach College Championship. The Pioneers began this season with a 5-0 loss against Huntingdon College. They followed up that performance with a 4-1 loss against Loyola University (New Orleans). Their most recent action was against Truett McConnell, a match the Pioneers lost 3-2.
"Something great about this year is that we have the best-skilled team that's ever been here," Lind said. "Hopefully, that will allow us to upset some teams."
First serve will come at noon against Tennessee Tech, followed by a match against the hosting school, Berry College, at 4:00 P.M. The eagles will close out the weekend on Saturday with a 10:00 A.M. matchup against Spartanburg Methodist.
