EMORY, Va. – With two matches to go in the regular season, Carson-Newman can claim the outright top spot in the Mountain Division of the South Atlantic Conference standings with a road trip to face Emory & Henry Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
The Eagles hold a two-game lead on Mars Hill with the teams splitting the regular-season meetings. It is an important spot because the difference will be who the team hosts in the SAC Tournament facing a .500 Newberry team or a 16-8 Lenoir-Rhyne unit.
When the teams faced off on Sept. 17, it was the first clash between the two programs in history as – Carson-Newman (23-4, 14-2) tallied a season-high 13 service aces with five different players recording at least one in a straight set victory over Emory & Henry (4-22, 3-13).
Emmagrace Cobb (Greensboro, N.C.) posted a .636 hitting percentage with eight kills on 11 swings tallying a pair of block assists. Carlee Allbaugh (Tallahassee, Fla.) posted 28 assists, four digs and three aces.
After starting the year 1-16, the Wasps won three matches in October winning twice in the last six overall contests. Eighteen of the team's 22 losses for the year have come in straight sets with the 17 total sets won this season the second-fewest among league programs, one more than Coker's 16.
Emory & Henry ranks towards the bottom in most statistical categories sitting in 12th with 10.19 kills per set, 11th with a .112 hitting percentage and eighth with 110 aces and blocks per set with 1.75.
In the last three matches, the Wasps have failed to hit above .100 bringing the season total to 14 times in 26 total contests for the year. There is a big differential between wins, .211, and losses, .092, for the campaign.
On the attack, Camden Jones and Julissa Hopsgood average 2.4 kills per set for the year and are hitting above .140 for the season. Jones had a big day on the floor in the first meeting with 13 kills hitting .407 with five digs and Hopgood tossed in nine smashes but the rest of the roster tallied seven kills and nine attack errors.
Libby Bickelhaupt anchors the backline posting 3.58 digs per set for the year totaling a season-high 26 digs in a four-set loss at Tusculum two matches ago. The libero has found a good rhythm on serve with three aces apiece in each of the last two matches producing six multi-ace matches 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.
- CN -
