JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Angling to extend its winning streak to a season-high three matches, Carson-Newman welcomes second-place Lenoir-Rhyne to Holt Fieldhouse for a Tuesday evening South Atlantic Conference match starting at 7 p.m.
Carson-Newman (11-9, 7-4) is coming off of back-to-back wins and is looking to match its season-long winning streak against a Lenoir-Rhyne (11-3, 9-1) team that sits in second place in the league standings, two matches in the win column behind Tusculum for the top slot. The Eagles are looking to bounce back from their first Tuesday night loss since 2019 when they fell in five frames to Mars Hill.
The attack has started to round into form with the unit recording a hitting percentage of .200 or better in five of the last seven outings posting an absurd 14.77 kills per set during the three contests last week paced the effort of reigning SAC Player of the Week, Julia Wheeler's six per game.
"Taking all of the momentum that we had this weekend and pouring that into what we have coming is so huge," Wheeler said. "We are on fire right now, doing good. The fact that we were able to pull that through and do such a great job fixing the little things. If we can stay consistent with the little things, then we are going to do so many great things all week."
Tuesday's mid-October affair is the 68th all-time meeting with the Orange and Blue ahead 40-27 despite the Bears snapping six-match skid to the Eagles with a sweep on March 19, 2021. During that six-game stretch, C-N had won 18 of the 23 games. Erin Edwards (Midlothian, Va.) and Megan Oldenburger each had nine kills while Taylor Prall led all players with 18.
Lenoir-Rhyne dropped its first two matches of the year but has won 11 of the last 12 including each of the last three since being swept at Anderson on Oct. 5. The Bears have needed five sets four times with only two sweeps, albeit one against league-leading Tusculum to open the 10th month in the calendar year. The club is in the midst of a 10-match road swing.
Coach Mark Wimberley's team is one of the best defensive teams in the nation ranking 23rd in digs per set with an 18.18 average and 25th in blocks per game at 2.30. The Bears have four matches with at least 90 scoops in the last eight and seven double-digit rejections paced by a season-high 16 at Palm Beah Atlantic on Sept. 11. Despite the success, foes are hitting .159 to put the team eighth.
Rachel Bewick leads the conference in digs per set with 5.46 ranking No. 23 in the country producing double digits in every match on the year including eight with 20 or more. Her season high came on Sept. 11 against Emmanuel with 31.
Prall is the top attacking option ranking fourth in the league with 3.32 kills per set. The three-time All-SAC selection has recorded 1,230 total kills and is posting 3.34 smashes per game for her career including a ridiculous 4.88 in the spring. The senior has 10 double-digit kill days for the year including a three-game sequence with 54 during the five-match road swing starting on Oct. 7 at Newberry.
The match will feature a video broadcast on cneagles.com/live as the Eagle Sports Network provides the sights and sounds from the friendly confines.
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