VIDEO: Ashley Tiernan Interview
VIDEO: Hayden Barton Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman finished the match with 10 blocks and a .291 hitting percentage to win its six straight match taking down Lincoln Memorial in three sets, 25-18, 25-13 and 25-12, in South Atlantic Conference action Tuesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
"I am very, very happy and very, very proud how the team responded," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "Stat wise on Saturday we couldn't get in rhythm. There were a lot of things that we didn't do well on Saturday. We had a pretty extensive conversation about some things and cleaned up some things in practice yesterday. Most of it is mental. We came in today with some goals in mind and executed them the way we needed to."
Over the last three weeks, the Eagles have won six matches in a row by sweep, the longest stretch by the team since Sept. 1-8, 2007. With the win, Carson-Newman (16-2, 9-1) is off to its best SAC start since 2015 while beating Lincoln Memorial (5-12, 3-6) for the seventh straight meetings.
Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) finished a kill shy of a triple-double for the second time in her career tallying 14 assists, 10 digs and nine kills hitting .562 for the night.
Julia Wheeler (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) bounced back from a season-low kill total on Saturday with 15 hitting .438 with nine digs and four block assists. Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio) recorded seven block assists.
Carlee Allbaugh (Tallahassee, Fla.) notched 20 assists and seven digs while Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) paved the way out of the back row with a match-high 15 digs.
"Our block has really stepped up the last couple games," Barton said. "It makes us as defenders so much more confident to get balls up because we're able to line up and makes our job a whole lot easier for sure."
The Orange and Blue racked up 10 total blocks limiting LMU to a minus-.019 hitting percentage, the second straight foe to post a negative margin.
1️⃣5️⃣ @juliawheerr kills
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) October 4, 2022
1️⃣5️⃣ @hbarton12 digs
2️⃣0️⃣ @AllbaughCarlee assists
3️⃣.5️⃣ @KeeranTaylor blocks
6️⃣ straight @CarsonNewmanVB sweeps �� pic.twitter.com/0PUsvEHwdU
After the Eagles took the early edge in the first frame, LMU responded with a 6-2 surge to go ahead 12-10. C-N fought back rattling off 10 of the next 12 to seize control of the game clinching the set on an attack error. Tiernan's troops tallied 17 kills and posted a .279 hitting clip.
Lincoln Memorial won three of the first four points in the second set only to see the Eagles reel off 10 straight points, the second time this year the team has had a double-digit scoring burst. Using a 5-0 run later in the game, the home group pulled away to win 25-13 on an ace by Hildenbrand.
Tiernan's troops left no doubt in the third set charging out to an 8-2 lead pushing the lead out to beyond double digits before a Hildenbrand kill sealed the win.
The Railsplitters lost their fourth straight contest as Ketura Margaret led the way with nine kills but made eight attack errors. No other player had more than four with the team finishing with 22 total. Amanda Lisi added 19 assists and nine digs.
The Eagles return to action on Friday night at 7 p.m. from Holt Fieldhouse against Lenoir-Rhyne. The game can be streamed on FloSports with a subscription. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram @CN_eagles for updates throughout the match.
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