JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman beach volleyball heads to the South Atlantic/Conference Carolinas Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament, set to kick off Friday, April 11, through Saturday, April 12, at Gaston College in Dallas, N.C.
"We're excited and ready to play," said head coach Cat Collins. "We did a lot of scouting yesterday, and I think the overall feel of the team is that we can't wait for the opportunity."
Collins and her squad completed the regular season last weekend after sweeping the competition 4-0 in the final conference weekend before the postseason. The Eagles finished the season strong, topping the conference standings with an unbeaten record against all SAC/CC teams this season.
Since this is the first year that beach volleyball has been an official sport for the SAC/CC leagues, the playoff format is split into two "pools," with teams competing head-to-head until one team remains from each pool.
"Not being beaten by someone in conference is a confidence booster, but it's also a factor that hangs over the team," said Collins. "We need to make sure we are prepared for tougher teams and know that we are going to get every team's best shot. We need to control the things we can and trust the training and work we've put in to this point."
Thanks to their success this season, the Eagles secured the top seed in the tournament, placing them in Pool A and setting them up to face the Erskine Flying Fleet on Friday, April 11, at 9:30 a.m.
"Our pool includes the 4th and 5th seeds, so Erskine is probably one of the tougher teams that we'll face. Of course, Tusculum is another team we need to prepare for," Collins said.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Day 1: Friday, April 11
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Pool A: #1 Carson-Newman vs. #5 Erskine – 9:30 a.m.
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Pool B: #2 Tusculum vs. #6 Wingate – 11:00 a.m.
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Pool A: #1 Carson-Newman vs. #4 Catawba – 12:30 p.m.
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Pool B: #2 Tusculum vs. #3 Emmanuel – 2:30 p.m.
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Pool A: #4 Catawba vs. #5 Erskine – 4:00 p.m.
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Pool B: #3 Emmanuel vs. #6 Wingate – 5:30 p.m.
Day 2: Saturday, April 12
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Pool A #1 vs. Pool B #2 – 10:00 a.m.
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Pool B #1 vs. Pool A #2 – 11:30 a.m.
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Semifinal Winners – 1:30 p.m.
Seeding for the SAC/CC Tournament:
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Carson-Newman
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Tusculum
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Emmanuel
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Catawba
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Erskine
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Wingate
"This is definitely one of the hardest-working teams I've ever been a part of," said Collins. "They have a joy for what they do, which is important to me. I want my athletes to love what they do because if they love it, they're going to give their best. They have big goals for this season, and it's exciting because those goals are within reach for us. They've worked so hard and have been here doing their jobs and more every day."
Carson-Newman is aiming for its first SAC/CC beach volleyball tournament championship when they travel to Gaston College in Dallas, N.C., on Friday, April 11–12, with their first match against Erskine at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.
To keep up with Carson-Newman Beach Volleyball, follow the team on social media @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram, or on Facebook by following Carson-Newman Athletics. You can also visit us online at cneagles.com.
