SALISBURY, N.C. – Looking to extend an impressive five-match road winning streak, Carson-Newman opens up the final week of the regular season with a road trip to Goodman Gym and South Atlantic Conference foe Catawba on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Eagles have started to find a groove at the net posting a .200 or better hitting margin in five of the last six matches after accomplishing that tally seven times in the opening 26 matches of the year. Under coach Ashley Tiernan, the unit it 23-2 when posting at least a .200 clip including an 11-1 mark in 2021.
Saturday is the 72nd time the teams will collide with Catawba (9-12, 6-9) holding a 37-34 edge but Carson-Newman (17-11, 10-5) is in the midst of its most dominating stretch in series history winning eight straight with each victory coming in four sets or fewer adding five sweeps. The Orange and Blue have won 14 of the last 16 dating back to 2013 with the last time the Indians tasted victory in the series was Nov. 5, 2016 when they swept the Eagles in Salisbury.
In the first meeting this season, Carson-Newman opened the doors to Holt Fieldhouse with a four-set win behind a season-high 17 kills on a .533 hitting percentage by Erin Edwards (Midlothian, Va.). Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) filled up the stats with 40 assists, 10 digs and seven kills on a .261 margin adding three block assists and three aces.
Three Catawba players, Allison Bryant, Ashley Johnson and Raytchelle Miranda, finished with a dozen kills as the rest of the team posted a total of nine blasts and eight misfires. Payton Medich ended the night with a double-double of 29 assists and 10 scoops.
After opening the year 7-5, the wheels are getting loose for the Indians who have dropped four straight and seven of the last nine matches. It has put the unit in a tough spot sitting in eighth in the league standings with three matches to go including Saturday and against Wingate. Limestone and Newberry are right on their heels.
While the team is 10th in the conference in kills per set posting 11.32 per game, Bryant ranks third in the category with 3.48 taking 11.52 swings per game, the highest margin in the SAC. She has 13 matches in double figures with six of at least 15 in her last 11 outings. The outside hitter has been even better at home posting just shy of four per set while hitting .185, well above her season total of .136.
The one area where Catawba excels is blocking ranking fifth in the league with 1.85 per set and that number has swelled to over two in the last nine matches. With three double-digit efforts in the last seven after one in the first 14, Johnson paces the group with 0.92 per game, the ninth-best tally in the SAC.
To follow along with the action, Catawba will produce a video feed and stats for Saturday evening's match between two of the founding members of the league. Fans are encouraged to follow @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and notes on the program.
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