VIDEO: Ashley Tiernan Interview

2021 SAC Preseason Poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. – With the start of the 2021 season 10 days away and a full season on tap, the South Atlantic Conference released its preseason poll on Tuesday showing Carson-Newman picked to finish third in the league standings.

"We are seeing a lot from this group," Tiernan said. "We are full speed ahead. The education and learning process, what we call the honeymoon is over. Starting yesterday we really got after it in the gym. The training is going to be there but the education is over so it's time to get after it."

The Eagles have finished in the top four of the league standings in each of the last four years and six of the last seven proving to be one of the most consistent teams in the SAC. Tiernan returns a pair of all-conference performers to lead the unit into action this year in two-time All-SAC honoree Erin Edwards and all-freshman team pick Hayden Barton.

However, seven players graduated in the spring leaving opportunities for a youthful club in 2021. Megan Oldenburger, a three-time All-SAC selection, is one of four players in school history to net 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. Katie Parnell is one of the most prolific blockers in program history. All told, the graduated players started 289 matches in their career.

Outside of Edwards, 54 starts, and Taylor Rohr, 47 starts, the rest of the roster has three starts in a Carson-Newman uniform. Division I transfers Julia Wheeler and Abbey Hildenbrand will help in the experience category. Wheeler played 19 matches for Tennessee Tech while Hildenbrand has played in 266 sets over 75 matches with 18 career double-doubles playing at Louisiana Tech.

Overall the Eagles return 36 percent of their kills, 42 percent of their blocks, 54 percent of their digs and 59 percent of their assists. The roster features 15 underclassmen and three seniors, who have played 237 matches. The rest of the roster has 58 total collegiate affairs.

The Orange and Blue have their sights set on back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the third time in school history with a three-year run from 2008-10 and the most recent string of two in a row in 2014 and 2015. As the defending NCAA Southeast Region Champions, C-N has seven of its eight overall NCAA Tournament appearances as a program over the last 12 campaigns.

"We have to keep our main goals in the forefront," Tiernan said. "We call it the trail to Tampa because that is where we want to be. We constantly talk about it and we constantly do the things we need to do to get there. We are making those goals every single day. Every practice is fast paced. We are not slowing down for anything because we have to be able to run those fast-paced games. In order to do that you have to have fast-paced practices."

A team has not defended its region championship since Wingate won three straight from 2012-14. During the 2010s decade, only four teams won the Southeast with the Eagles holding more trophies than any club since 2015. Overall, Wingate won five of the 10 titles, Flagler won in 2011 and 2017 while USC Aiken held serve on their home court in 2016.

Wingate was picked to win the league receiving 11 of the 13 first-place votes while Anderson picked up the other two to be slotted second. Queens, Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum, Mars Hill and Newberry round out the top eight and the potential SAC Tournament field. Limestone, Lincoln Memorial, Catawba, Coker and UVA Wise round out the poll.

Carson-Newman opens its season on Friday, Sept. 3 versus UNC Pembroke with the first of four matches from USC Aiken's Convocation Center as the Eagles take flight for the first of their 32 matches during the campaign.

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