MARS HILL, N.C. – Carson-Newman's season ends in the SAC Volleyball Tournament Quarterfinals at the hands of Mars Hill.

Carson-Newman (16-11, 12-6 SAC) fell in straight sets in the opening round of the South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Tournament to Mars Hill (17-9, 13-5 SAC).

The Eagles and Lions split meetings in the regular season, with Carson-Newman sweeping Mars Hill on its home floor in October. Mars Hill returned the favor when it mattered most.

The Eagles never led in the first set but had leads of six and four, respectively, in the second and third sets.

"We grew the most this season in the unseen parts of the game." Carson-Newman volleyball head coach Cat Collins said. "We grew individually from our game IQ, relationships, and faith. All of those are more important than a record."

Emerson Ahsmuhs (Placentia, Calif.) led Carson-Newman in kills with 11 as the only Eagle to surpass double-digits in the category. Blair Cherry (Knoxville, Tenn.) had the rare occurrence of being the only Eagle to tally an assist in the match, of which she had 34. She ended her season with six straight double-doubles and collected ten digs.

Trinity Hafey (Grand Junction, Colo.) started the match at libero and led the Eagles in digs with 18. Addie Smith (Jonesborough, Tenn.) was the only other Eagle in double digits in digs, splitting time between defensive specialist and switching to middle blocker in the third set. Bella Cardello (Fountain Hills, Ariz.) had to start at middle blocker in place of Taylor Keeran, who was out with an injury and missed her lone match of the season. Cardello and Ahsmuhs led the team in blocks, each with three.

First Set (25-17, MHU) – Mars Hill jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, igniting an already electrified crowd. The Eagles sank their talons to claw back at the lead but only pulled within four at 15-11. The Lions only pulled away further from that point, hitting .222 in the set, while Carson-Newman struggled, only hitting .068, leading to a convincing first set win.

Second Set (25-22, MHU) – Carson-Newman appeared to turn the tides after the court change using a 5-0 run to jump ahead 9-5 before eventually leading by as many as six. An 8-3 run from Mars Hill gave the Lions back the lead. The two sides traded blows, jockeying for position before a 6-1 Lion run put the set to bed, forcing Carson-Newman to play for its season in the third.

Third Set (25-22, MHU) – Needing a set win to keep its season alive, Carson-Newman had déjà vu all over again, using another 5-0 run to take an 8-4 lead. The Lions sunk their teeth in, pulling back to a tie at 12-12. From that point, the two sides alternated the following 11 points. Tied at 20, Mars Hill ended the set on a 5-2 run, calling a timeout at match point before a Carson-Newman service error sent Mars Hill to the SAC Semifinals.

Mars Hill now advances to play Wingate in Rock Hill, S.C., on Thursday afternoon. It ends the first season of the Cat Collins era, who coached the Eagles to a 7-0 start in SAC play and started her era at the helm of the Eagles with a bang as two freshmen dominated the Eagles' offense in Maddie Hurst (Blaine, Tenn.) and Emerson Ahsmuhs.

The careers of Taylor Adams (Covington, Ga.), McKenna Hall (Bristol, Wis.), Taylor Keeran (Galion, Ohio), Blake Cherry (Cookeville, Tenn.), Bennett McCombs (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), and Kylee Oldenburger (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) draw to a close.

To keep up to date with Carson-Newman volleyball and to be notified of future news, awards, and the 2025 schedule release, follow along on social media @CN_Eagles on X or Instagram and Facebook at Carson-Newman Athletics.