Cat Collins Interview

Bennett McCombs Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman volleyball is 6-0 in conference play for the first time in a decade.

Carson-Newman (10-3, 6-0 SAC) broke out the brooms for the fourth time in five matches, taking down Catawba (1-9, 0-4 SAC) in dominant fashion. With the win, the Eagles are 6-0 for the first time since 2014, when Carson-Newman reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

"Really proud of our chemistry. Our energy was super consistent throughout the whole game." Carson-Newman volleyball head coach Cat Collins said. "Athletes always play well when they feel more comfortable, so our goal in scouting is making sure our athletes know everything that's coming at them beforehand."

Bennett McCombs (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) took home Food City Player of the Match honors with a new career-high four service aces on top of 16 digs and four assists.

"[Coach Cat] was basically telling us constantly where they're going, where they're attacking," McCombs said. "They were moving the ball around a lot, so it was just a matter of where Coach Cat was telling us to go and reacting from there."

First Set (25-11, C-N) – Carson-Newman dominated the set wire-to-wire, dismantling the Catawba Indians with a 9-0 run to put them away. The difference in the set was shown in the hitting percentages, where C-N hit .308 in the frame while Catawba was held to a -.061. Individually, Bennett McCombs highlighted the set with three straight service aces.

Second Set (25-17, C-N) – The Eagles continued their reign of terror over Catawba, hitting .450 in the frame. Carson-Newman used multiple runs, none longer than four points, to slowly take the advantage over the Indians.

Third Set (25-17, C-N) – Resuming their dominance over the Indians, most of the cheering came in the set at the very end. Junior Paige Bussom (Simpsonville, S.C.) entered her first match of the season, collecting two kills to tie a career-high. The Eagles also combined for three blocks in the frame, with three block assists from Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio).

Blair Cherry (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the Eagles in assists for the 13^th straight match with 25 on the night. Keeran led in blocks with a solo block and three assists. Maddie Hurst (Blaine, Tenn.) and Blake Cherry (Cookeville, Tenn.) led the team in kills with seven each.

Carson-Newman now hits the road for a three-match trip with matches against Mars Hill, Lincoln Memorial, and Wingate.

To keep up with Carson-Newman volleyball on the road, follow us on social media @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram or our Facebook page at Carson-Newman Athletics.