Eagles prepare for quartet of competition at Ohio Valley Challenge
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For just the second time this season, Carson-Newman prepares to hit the road for a two-day event, this time heading to Clarksville, Tenn. for the Ohio Valley Challenge, hosted by Austin Peay, on Friday and Saturday.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For just the second time this season, Carson-Newman prepares to hit the road for a two-day event, this time heading to Clarksville, Tenn. for the Ohio Valley Challenge, hosted by Austin Peay, on Friday and Saturday.
Still searching for a win in their 2018 campaign, the Eagles (0-9) have faced shutout losses in six duals, all of those coming in consecutive outings. Carson-Newman looks to turn the tide after falling in a doubleheader dual to Lincoln Memorial this past Saturday, 5-0 and 4-1.
Three C-N pairings have seen wins this season with the most recent coming last Saturday as Catherine Cook (Morristown, Tenn.) and Lexy Headley (Sharps Chapel, Tenn.) started the second dual of the twinbill against LMU with a three-set win over Kayla Kidney and Sarah Jones. They are the second fifth-seeded pairing to find success this season.
Head coach Kody DuBarry's team has not won matches at the first, second and fourth seeds yet this season.
The Eagles will make the four-hour trek to the central portion of the Volunteer State to face four opponents in the tournament, two of which Carson-Newman has not faced in program history.
C-N opens its time in the challenge against Spring Hill. The Sandy Badgers (11-8) comes into the tournament after a third-place finish at the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Small College Championships. They closed out their time in the championship with a 3-2 win over Tampa after falling to the top-seeded and eventual champion Texas A&M-Kingsville, 3-2.
Head coach Shawn Taylor's team has been mostly led by sophomore Payton Gidney and senior Julie Vujnovich, garnering a 7-9 record when playing at the top spot. They enter the weekend on a two-match losing streak.
This will be the third meeting between the two teams in program history. The Sandy Badgers lead the all-time series 2-0 with the most recent matching coming last season in the Austin Peay Tournament with the Eagles falling 4-1. C-N's lone win that day came at the No. 1 spot with Taylor Lowe and Anna Patton defeating Julie Vujnovich and Madison Seuzeneau in three sets.
Directly following that match, Carson-Newman will stay on the courts for its first-ever faceoff with Morehead State.
The Eagles (2-9) will be a week removed from their previous tournament once Friday rolls around after going 2-2 at the Principia College Quad. Their final match there ended in a 5-0 loss to Stevenson.
Under the leadership of head coach Jaime Gordon, Morehead State has found most of its success this season at the No. 5 spot with a 5-6 record between two different pairings. Maddie Fella and Danielle McCarson have had the most luck there at 4-5. None of the pairings currently hold a winning streak. The top tandem of Jessie Wachtman and Liz Allen has produced a 1-10 record thus far with a three-dual losing skid.
Much like Morehead State, Jacksonville State will also face C-N for the first time at the challenge when the two teams meet on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (2-23) are currently enduring a four-match losing streak after not obtaining a win at the Battle on the Bayou last weekend. The last win for Terry Gamble's crew came in a 5-0 match over Huntingdon on April 3.
A familiar face to the C-N program will be playing on the other side of the net in the matchup. Junior Katie Will, once a member of the Eagles indoor and beach volleyball programs, has been the most relied upon player at the top-seeded position, suiting up with three different teammates throughout the season with just one win for each pairing. Will and sophomore Sadie Anderson have played the most matches at the No. 1 spot with a 1-13 record.
Carson-Newman will close its second-to-last tournament of the season against host team Austin Peay.
The match will mark the second meeting between the teams this season. The Governors (7-12) visited Mossy Creek back on March 24 for the two-day tournament hosted by C-N. In the match, head coach Taylor Mott's team defeated the Eagles in a 5-0 shutout. The Carson-Newman side was unable to take a set from APSU in the match, losing the dual in straight sets at every position. The win over the Orange and Blue gave Austin Peay a 2-0 lead in the all-time series history.
The Governors hold a four-match losing streak heading into the tournament after losing each of its duals at the Central Arkansas Invitational.
The Ohio Valley Challenge will take two days to complete with six teams competing. A recap and full results will follow each day of action on cneagles.com.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018 |
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2018 |
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8:00 a.m. - APSU vs. JSU |
8:00 a.m. - SHC vs. JSU |
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9:30 a.m. - LMU vs. SHC |
9:30 a.m. - LMU vs. APSU |
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11:00 a.m. - MSU vs. APSU |
11:00 a.m. - SPC vs. MSU |
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1:00 p.m. - JSU vs. LMU |
1:00 p.m. - C-N vs. JSU |
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2:30 p.m. - SHC vs. C-N |
2:30 p.m. - MSU vs. LMU |
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4:00 p.m. - MSU vs. C-N |
4:00 p.m. - C-N v. APSU |
