DALLAS, N.C. – Carson-Newman brought the brooms to the first-ever South Atlantic/Conference Carolinas Championships Tournament, sweeping both Erskine and Catawba in Friday's matches.
"The team played great today," said head coach Cat Collins. "I'm proud of the team and the great chemistry and energy they brought. We really stepped up in a big way."
The Eagles continued their dominant conference winning streak, remaining unbeaten in conference play after sweeping Erskine and Catawba on the first day of the SAC/CC Tournament.
The #1-seeded Eagles began the tournament against the #5-seeded Erskine Flying Fleet in a 9:30 a.m. matchup. With a 5-0 victory, the Eagles completed a season sweep of the Flying Fleet, finishing 4-0 in head-to-head matchups.
Match 1: C-N 5, Erskine 0
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Jenny Ille/Paige Halcrow (C-N) def. MJ Cackett/Lillian Pragle (ESK) 26-24, 16-21, 15-10
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Ava Fountain/Emerson Ahsmuhs (C-N) def. Abby Platt/Paige Knotts (ESK) 21-18, 21-16
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Trinity Hafey/Kylee Oldenburger (C-N) def. Kat Diaz/Kianna Pierson (ESK) 21-10, 21-4
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Camryn Ehlers/Morgan Foy (C-N) def. Abby Johnson/Logan Webster (ESK) 21-15, 21-15
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Kat Nelson/Addie Smith (C-N) def. Elly Davis/Allysa Owens (ESK) 21-12, 21-12
The Eagles' second match of the day came against the Catawba Indians, a team Carson-Newman had already defeated twice this season. With another 5-0 sweep, the Eagles finished the season series 3-0 against Catawba.
Match 2: C-N 5, Catawba 0
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Jenny Ille/Paige Halcrow (C-N) def. Riannel/Brooklyn Calkins (CAT) 21-9, 21-9
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Ava Fountain/Emerson Ahsmuhs (C-N) def. Christina Knotts/Morgan Childress (CAT) 21-18, 19-21, 15-11
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Trinity Hafey/Kylee Oldenburger (C-N) def. Kennedy Kimbro/Katie Willingham (CAT) 21-15, 21-16
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Camryn Ehlers/Morgan Foy (C-N) def. Sidney Kettlekamp/Ragan Ball (CAT) 21-12, 23-21
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Kat Nelson/Addie Smith (C-N) def. Lauren Bodell/Taylor Allison (CAT) 21-17, 21-12
"Kylee [Oldenburger] and Trinity [Hafey] played hard today, and their chemistry and consistency were great," said Collins.
With two dominant wins, the Eagles (Pool A #1) now await their opponent for Saturday, April 12, with their first match scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
Day 2 – Saturday, April 12 Schedule:
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10:00 a.m. – #1 Carson-Newman vs. #2 Emmanuel
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11:30 a.m. – #1 Tusculum vs. #2 Erskine
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1:30 p.m. – Championship Match (Semifinal Winners)
"The team is confident and focused," Collins added. "We have goals we want to achieve, and that is our focus."
To keep up with Carson-Newman Beach Volleyball, follow the team on social media @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram, or find Carson-Newman Athletics on Facebook. You can also visit cneagles.com for the latest updates.
