JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - A large crowd gathered on the banks of Mossy Creek to watch Carson-Newman beach volleyball (19-0) celebrates senior day with a pair of wins over St. Andrews University (9-14) on Tuesday, Mar. 21st.
"We have a great group of seniors that have done such a great job leading us on and off the court," beach volleyball head coach Cat Lind said. "They set great examples, and all really stick to our culture."
The Eagles swept St. Andrews on senior day for the third straight year, winning both matches 5-0 each year. Carson-Newman is 9-0 all-time against the Knights.
"We did a great job sticking to the game plan, focusing on us, adapting when we had to, and got the job done," Lind said.
Game One: C-N 5, St. Andrews 0
Junior Sierra Still and Graduate Truth Hafey lined up as Carson-Newman's one pair for the 18th straight match. The Eagles pair took on Cheyenne Bowman and Marissa Alejo-Vann. Still and Hafey won the first set 21-12 before pulling away in the second 21-10.
Senior Abbey Hildenbrand and Freshman Ava Fountain extended their perfect streak to 18-0 when they took on Kaleigh Morawietz and Kyra McKinney. The grandma/grandaughter pair (as explained by Cat Lind) won in sets of 21-11 and 21-16.
Senior Mia Toribio and Junior Taylor Keeran lined up in the three spot for the 10th consecutive match. They took on Parker Venable and Bailey Zivitski. The Eagles duo won in sets of 21-13 and 21-6.
Senior Julia Wheeler and Junior McKenna Hall took on Lauren Gauna and Kaitlyn Ybarra in the four spot. Gauna and Ybarra are the only Knights to have won a point against Carson-Newman this season when the pair won against Kenzie Palmer and Taylor Keeran. Hall and Wheeler were able to win in sets of 21-11 and 21-6.
Seniors Piper Halcrow and Palmer competed against Abby Benekas and Paloma Sutty in the five spot. The Eagles pair won in back-to-back sets of 21-8 to mark their third win as a pair this season.
Junior Calla Shotwell and Sophomore Kat Nelson competed against Jordyn Skeens and Haley Wells in an exhibition match. The Eagles took the first set 22-20 before capturing the second 21-10. The Eagles are 5-1 in exhibition matches this year.
Game Two: C-N 5, St. Andrews 0
Still and Hafey remained in the one spot for game two against St. Andrews. The pair played in their second matchup against Bowman and Alejo-Vann. Carson-Newman's duo won 21-6 and 21-14. Still and Hafey outscored Bowman and Alejo-Vann 84-42 on the day.
Fountain and Hildenbrand won their 19th straight match when they took on for the second time of the day. The Eagles duo won in sets of 21-10 and 21-13. Fountain and Hildenbrand could break Morgan Siwiec's record for wins in a season (20) next Wednesday when the Eagles play in a doubleheader against Tennessee Tech. Hildenbrand became the eighth Eagle to earn 30 career wins.
Toribio and Keeran saw Gauna and Venable in the three spot in their second matchup of the day. The Eagles duo won in sets of 21-10 and 21-17 to win their ninth matchup of the season. The win marks Toribio's 38th, good enough for second-best in program history.
Wheeler and Hall extended their perfect start to the season with a pair of winning sets of Emily Hinchliffe and Ryleigh Lewis. The Eagles won in sets of 21-7 and 21-11. Hall holds a 73.9% win percentage in 46 career matchups, which is a program record among players who have completed a full season.
Halcrow and Palmer paired up in the five spot for the fourth time this year. The Eagles duo took on Molly Mungle and Piper Berkley. Carson-Newman's senior pair won in sets of 21-6 and 21-7. The 42-13 deficit was the largest of the day.
Madeline Holmes and Ashlyn Phair competed in their second match of the season as a pair. The duo took on Mikayla Logan and Jordan Judlin. Carson-Newman's pair won in sets of 21-8 and 21-10.
Carson-Newman returns to Mossy Creek for the final time this season when they take on Tennessee Tech (2-2) on Mar. 29th. Tennessee Tech is in its inaugural beach volleyball season. Carson-Newman defeated the Golden Eagles back on Feb. 24th, 4-1.
"Tech is a great team that is very athletic," Lind said. "We will have to come focused and ready. We got them last time, but we can't mess around."
For more information on Carson-Newman beach volleyball, visit cneagles.com or follow Carson-Newman athletics on social media.
