JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman, one of the most efficient teams in the South Atlantic Conference, hosts Newberry Friday night at 7 p.m. and Anderson on Saturday at 5 p.m. closing out September where the team is 8-1.
"We are going to take care of our bodies but we are still going to get after it," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "We don't hold anything back. We have more business to take care of. We have been back in the gym and ready for the week."
The Eagles rank third in the conference and 56th in the country with a team hitting percentage of .229 having hit at least. 200 eight times in 14 matches including four of the last five. Emmagrace Cobb (Greensboro, N.C.) has become a catalyst hitting .377 in September with three total errors in her last four games hitting .547 (32-3-53).
Carson-Newman (12-2, 5-1) has dominated Newberry (6-7, 1-4) overall leading 40-10 including wins in eight straight matches since losing in five sets at Eleazer Arena on Sept. 15, 2017. During the run, the Eagles have dropped a total of five sets with four sweeps.
Coach Ross Kessler's group is in the midst of a gauntlet losing to Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson having dropped three in a row and four of the last five. The club is 4-1 at home but 2-6 in road and neutral site matches.
From a team statistical standpoint, the Wolves are anywhere from fifth to eighth in every area. Samantha Shaffer leads the league and is 14th in the nation with a .411 attack percentage. In September, that number bulges to .427 and she is averaging 2.60 kills per set.
Saturday is the 32nd collision between C-N and Anderson (10-3, 4-2) with the Trojans holding a 17-14 edge having won each of their last three visits to Mossy Creek. The Eagles last home win in the series came on Oct. 12, 2018, a sweep at Holt. Anderson has won nine of the last 13 overall.
Coach Todd Hay's team had won seven straight before dropping two out of three in four sets to Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne before rebounding to sweep the Wolves on Tuesday. Seven of the team's 10 wins have come in straight sets.
Anderson touts the top blocking team in the conference with 2.48 per set, good enough for 13th in the nation but is fourth in opponent's hitting percentage allowing a .141 margin. The team has hit double-digits five times including a season-high 19 against Montevallo on Aug. 27, a number that is tied for the most in any match in Division II in 2022.
Madison Roy guides the offense ranking fifth among active Division II players with 10.61 assists per set with five players tallying two-plus kills per set this year. After posting 13 double-doubles in 2021, she has yet to produce one so far this year.
Fans can use their FloSports subscription or sign up for one to watch the every contest all season long. Follow along to @CN_Eagles on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.
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