Eagles look to end losing skid during trip to Tusculum
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman Eagles (5-6, 3-4 SAC) will be looking to turn their season around as they travel to rival Tusculum (13-1, 5-1 SAC) Tuesday afternoon for yet another important South Atlantic Conference match.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman Eagles (5-6, 3-4 SAC) will be looking to turn their season around as they travel to rival Tusculum (13-1, 5-1 SAC) Tuesday afternoon for yet another important South Atlantic Conference match.
With the loss to Queens (N.C.) on Sunday, Carson-Newman is below the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Pioneers are currently sitting right behind Wingate at second in the South Atlantic Conference. Their lone loss on the year came at the hands of the Bulldogs 10 days ago.
Tusculum singles players Kate Hutchinson and Erin Mills were a part of the SAC preseason All-Conference selections prior to this year's play. Hutchinson is currently 11-2 on the year and Mills owns a 12-2 record.
Carson-Newman will also have their hands full in doubles play as they square off against two highly talented parings of Pioneers. Amanda Sumner and Emily Waters, who were preseason selections, play together from time to time, but injuries have forced the duo to play separate for most of the year. However, Kaelee Heffner and Kate Hutchinson have been together all season and have found success, as they have an 8-4 record to date.
The big storyline for the Eagles the past few weeks has been injuries. The Eagles have been without Haleigh Chastain (Knoxville, Tenn.), Jill Corsato-Owsianka (Germany), and Sydney Ledington (Corbin, Ky.) sparingly the past few weeks. Patricia Guerreiro also suffered an injury in Sunday's match, and her availability is uncertain for Tuesday.
"The women are in a tough situation because of injuries right now," coach Jean Love said. "Sydney (Ledington) is out for the season with a stress fracture in her foot and Jill (Corsato-Owsianka) and Patricia (Guerreiro) are battling overuse injuries and are day to day. Thankfully we got Haleigh (Chastain) back from injury this past weekend. She held up well over the weekend and can return fully to the lineup."
Carson-Newman will either have to fight through these injuries or rely on young talent when Tusculum. If the injuries prevail, look for underclassman Catherine Cook (Morristown, Tenn.) or Jessica Edds (Gate City, Va.) to again step up and fill the roles.
"We will give it all we have tomorrow against Tusculum," Love said.
For a complete recap following Tuesday's match, visit cneagles.com/spots or follow us on Twitter at @CNathletics for scores and statistics.
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