VIDEO: Ashley Tiernan Interview
VIDEO: Julia Wheeler Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Emmagrace Cobb and Julia Wheeler combined for 31 kills as top-seeded Carson-Newman erased a 1-0 deficit to topple third-seeded Tusculum in four sets, 18-25, 25-21, 25-17 and 25-21, in the 2022 South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals Friday at the Events Center.
"We knew that going into the third match against Tusculum this year that it's hard to beat a team three times," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "After the first set it was important for us to get in rhythm not about what they are trying to do or our shots. We had to make sure our rhythm was our game."
The Eagles advance to their seventh SAC title contest and the third in the last six years while reaching the final in an even year for the first time since 2002, the team's second time hoisting the trophy. Carson-Newman (27-4) remains unbeaten against Tusculum (14-12) in the postseason beating the Pioneers for the third this year.
After a first set with six kills and seven errors, the Eagles posted 44 smashes and 17 errors in the final three sets. Wheeler paced all players in the match with 20 kills hitting .275 with eight digs. She moves into third on the school's single-season kills ledger bringing her tally up to 586. Cobb chipped in 11 on a .333 margin and 2.5 total blocks to guide the attack.
"I think we came in and had the confidence that we were going to win," Wheeler said. "We had a slow start but a really strong finish which is what the biggest part of this game is."
Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) dished out 35 assists adding nine digs. Blake Cherry (Cookeville, Tenn.) posted a career-high five service aces tying for the match high with 19 digs. Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) provided 15 scoops and five assists.
Tusculum recorded three more kills in the match, the third time this season C-N posted fewer and had been 3-18 under Tiernan when the opponent had more.
2️⃣0️⃣ @juliawheerr kills
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) November 11, 2022
1️⃣9️⃣ @blakecherry11 digs
3️⃣5️⃣ @abbeyh65 assists
2️⃣.5️⃣ @CobbEmmagrace blocks
7️⃣th trip to the SAC title match for @CarsonNewmanVB pic.twitter.com/qDksHz3FdM
In the opening set, the Eagles held a 9-8 edge but surrendered three straight points and never led again. The Pioneers used a 6-0 surge to break open a one-point set into at 19-13 advantage before Raven Chance put the club ahead 1-0. It was just the seventh time this year that the Orange and Blue dropped the opening game but the fourth time the unit won the match.
The second stanza featured 13 ties and three lead changes and with the tally knotted at 20, the top seed reeled off five of the final six with Molly Langford (Olathe, Kan.) pounding a ball to the ground to even the match.
Carson-Newman broke a six-all tie with four points in a row and an 8-2 scoring run to gain separation before Wheeler punctuated the set with a kill. The Eagles forced nine attack errors and a .023 hitting percentage in the game.
Starting hot in the fourth, the Eagles won five of the first six points and swelled the bulge to as large as nine points. Tusculum tossed away three set points only to have a service error give the match to the Eagles.
Emiah Burrowes paced the Pioneers with 18 kills hitting .268 adding 13 digs. Peyton Gash finished with 11 kills and Carli Pigza had nine. Carly Sosnowski posted 19 scoops while Samantha Bunch posted 20 assists and 12 digs and Elise Carmichael tallied 23 and nine respectively.
The Eagles face off with the Piedmont Division winner, Wingate, on Saturday at 2 p.m. from the Events Center in the 2022 SAC Title Match. 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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