VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Cat Collins Interview

VIDEO: Emerson Ahsmuhs Interview

VIDEO: Blair Cherry Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman shocked the conference and broke out the brooms against [RV] Lenoir-Rhyne inside Holt Fieldhouse on Friday night.

Carson-Newman (14-6, 10-2 SAC) won its sixth straight home match to open the season, sweeping [RV] Lenoir-Rhyne (19-2, 10-2 SAC) in the latest edition. Before Friday evening's match, the Bears had only lost one match, but Carson-Newman was able to protect its home floor en route to an upset that left L-R's bench and traveling fans stunned.

"We worked so hard on the mental and emotional of the game this week." Carson-Newman volleyball head coach Cat Collins said. "It really felt like the losses that we had weren't a skill thing. We have the best attacking skills, setting skills, passing skills in this conference."

Freshman Emerson Ahsmuhs (Placentia, Calif.) earned Food City Player of the Game honors, collecting 15 kills with a new career-high .467 hitting percentage.

"[We tried] switching up the hitting routine from ghost to a three; we worked on that in practice, and that's one of the things that I really am good at and connecting with Blair," Ahsmuhs said. "Without a good setter, you don't get the kill."

Meanwhile, sophomore setter Blair Cherry (Knoxville, Tenn.) was two kills shy of a three-set triple-double, which would have been the first in program history. Cherry ended the night with eight kills, 39 assists, and 11 digs.

"We've been working on being active at the net all week when I'm front row," Cherry said. "So just taking those opportunities that I could and opening up my hitters, so it was dumping it a couple of times then giving it to my hitters."

While Cherry and Ahsmuhs led offensively, Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio) succeeded in the blocking department with three on the night. Four Eagles collected double-digit digs as McKenna Hall (Bristol, Wis.) led the charge with 16.

First Set (25-20, C-N) – The Eagles jumped ahead early, taking six of the first ten points of the night and holding onto that lead throughout the first set, leading by as much as eight. Blair Cherry found four kills from setter dumps over the net that L-R wasn't ready for. C-N hit .259 in the frame to lead it to the first-set victory.

Second Set (25-16, C-N) – Lenoir-Rhyne showed off its adjustments in the second set, connecting on four of its first four attacks to lead 7-3 before an early Carson-Newman timeout. The Eagles would go on a 9-2 run before Lenoir-Rhyne countered with its own timeout. But the momentum was too much for the Bears to overcome as the Eagles rolled to a nine-point set victory.

Third Set (25-18, C-N) – With the Bears down two sets to none for the first time this year, the Eagles took advantage of the nerves on the opposing bench and, like the first set, took an early lead before an L-R timeout. The Eagles benefitted from their best set of the season, hitting .351. Ahsmuhs connected on seven of her 13 attacks, while Blair Cherry and Keeran combined for four kills on seven attacks.

Carson-Newman has now matched last season's total number of wins at 14, with still six matches to play in the regular season. The Eagles turn their sights to UVA-Wise on Tuesday evening on the road in Wise, Va. To keep up to date with Carson-Newman Volleyball, follow us on social media @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram or Facebook at Carson-Newman Athletics.