Eagles welcome Cavs to Mossy Creek Tuesday

Eagles welcome Cavs to Mossy Creek Tuesday

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.  Carson-Newman (9-6, 5-4 SAC) will end a three-match homestand on Tuesday against the visiting UVA Wise Highland Cavaliers (2-11, 0-8 SAC) from the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex.

Last week was a huge one for the Eagles as they started off the week with a clean 7-0 sweep over the Mars Hill Lions on Tuesday before handing the #18 Queens (N.C.) Royals their second loss in 2021, thanks to senior Abby Reis (Des Moines, IA). Reis was the clincher on Saturday as she played her way to a 6-3, 6-4 victory in number six singles which gave C-N the final point needed and a 4-3 result.

"Queens has been one of the best in our conference lately, so we were not expecting to come out with the win. However, we came into the match with a fight for every point and every match style of mindset," Reis said. "We were excited to celebrate with a win and our girls are happy to continue our season."

So far this season, Carson-Newman has been anchored by the play of preseason all-singles selection and junior Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) in singles action. Resende is 11-4 on the year and holds an imposing 8-1 record against SAC opponents. Her lone loss on the year in SAC play came to Wingate on March 27 in a heartbreaking three-set defeat. Resende has also two matches away from tying her career high in wins for a single season (13) which she achieved in 2019 when she went 13-4.

Meanwhile, senior Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been a stronghold in singles action as well for C-N. Through her 15 matches of action, Price has managed to tie her career high for single season victories with 10, as she holds a 10-5 overall record. Price is also one half of the team-leading doubles pair alongside sophomore Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom). Together, the duo has set a record of 13-2 and 8-1 in SACtion. If the duo continues winning, they will get close to tying the program record for most doubles wins in a season (15) set by Patricia Guerreiro and Jennifer Ott back in 2015.

Tuesday will mark the third time these two programs have squared off, with C-N holding a 2-0 series lead. The programs last met in February of 2019 where the Eagles left not an ounce of doubt and swept the Cavs 7-0 from Knoxville, Tenn.

For UVA Wise, their 2021 season has seen them riding a current 10-match losing streak. The last win for the Highland Cavs came back on Feb. 21 when they swept Randolph College 7-0 from Lynchburg, Va.

First serve is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start time between the Eagles and Cavs. Senior Day festivities for C-N will take place after the match has concluded. Be sure to keep up with all things Carson-Newman women's tennis at cneagles.com and via all social media accounts.

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