CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Looking to beat two ranked teams in the same season for the first time in school history, Carson-Newman's South Atlantic Conference Tournament run continues at 4 p.m. at the Levine Center against top-seeded and 24th-ranked Wingate.
The Eagles are the only team to defeat the Bulldogs this year doing so on Oct. 19 inside of Holt Fieldhouse. Since that outing, Wingate (29-1) has reeled off 10 straight wins losing three total sets with eight sweeps. Coach Shelton Collier's team has won 19 consecutive sets since losing the fourth to Anderson on Nov. 1.
To beat the top seed, Tiernan's club will have bust a trend. C-N is 7-5 in Friday night matches this season compared to a 16-2 mark on any other day of the week. The glaring difference comes from the team's hitting percentage where it is hitting .176 on Fridays versus .236 on the other days committing three more attack errors.
"It's a mental thing," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "Physically we are capable of doing it. We have already proven that. If we are mentally focused and working on whatever or job is right in front of us we have the ability to do it again. It's going to take every play, every ball and every mental aspect whether you are on the bench or on the court."
Carson-Newman (23-7) is playing Wingate in the conference championships for the 11th time trailing 9-1. The lone win for the Eagles came on Oct. 28, 2000 when C-N won in straight sets in Greeneville, Tenn. in a semifinal affair en route to the school's first-ever league championship.
This is the second straight year that the units square off in the one versus four matchup as the Bulldogs were ranked 24th nationally in the 2018 meeting. It was the top seed that controlled the match sweeping the Eagles behind at least 15 kills in each set. Erin Edwards (Midlothian, Va.) produced 11 kills and just one mistake but the outside hitters combined for 17 kills and 15 misfires.
Wingate has won the hitting percentage battle in each of the first two matches attacking at a .277 clip this year but C-N produced 11 more kills in its win. The Bulldogs win every stat category this year except aces where the Eagles hold a 12-10 edge.
Edwards leads the team with 22 kills hitting .227 in the two efforts while the rest of the roster is posting a .147 margin. Wingate has avoided three-time All-SAC pick Morgan Ballard (Weaverville, N.C.). The senior has 23 total digs and a 3.29 digs average, well below her career mark of 6.78.
"We have to remember that we are the only team that has beaten them this season," Ballard said. "We have to remember what team we were that night and what team we have been this whole season. We have to bring out that fire on Friday."
The Bulldogs continued their run of dominance in the league winning their 13th regular-season title in the last 14 years and are seeking their second tournament title in a row and 12th in the last 14.
Collier's crew is the only team with one loss in the country as Cal State Bernardino and Nebraska-Kearney are the only two undefeated teams left. The 10-match winning streak is good for the 11th-longest string in Division II.
Friday features the two stingiest defensive teams in the conference and among the top in the nation with both ranking in the top 10 in blocks per set and opponent hitting percentage. Wingate ranks third blocking and second to Fayetteville State by yielding a .080 hitting margin.
Four Bulldogs received first-team All-SAC honors making up half of the entire top unit. The team led the lead in every average statistic with the exception of digs per set. With 14.06 kills per game, Wingate ranked 17th nationally. Lynnlee Mather ranks 12th in the country with a .393 attack margin hitting better than .400 in 13 matches in 2019.
Video and stats for Friday's match can be found on the SAC's digital portal by clicking here. As always, follow @CNathletics for the latest news and notes surrounding the Eagles.
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