September 30, 2014

Wilson, Pickett sweep AstroTurf SAC weekly honors

ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the first time in program history a Carson-Newman duo has swept the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week awards. Senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) was tabbed the conference’s player of the week while senior setter Kristen Pickett (Cleveland, Tenn.) earned specialist of the week honors.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the first time in program history a Carson-Newman duo has swept the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week awards. Senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) was tabbed the conference's player of the week while senior setter Kristen Pickett (Cleveland, Tenn.) earned specialist of the week honors.

"It's a big honor to have Carson-Newman up there," Pickett said of the honors. "The fact that we have won four out of eight [SAC weekly awards] it's a huge honor. I think it makes people look at Carson-Newman as a competitor."

The Eagles have now had four players honored with weekly awards which ties the school record for most times in a single season with the 2009 team. Setter Stephanie Cutter was named the conference specialist of the week three times and middle blocker Jasmine Clark was the league player of the week that season.

Wilson had a huge week posting double-digit kills in all three matches for Carson-Newman good for 3.92 kills per set on a .380 hitting percentage to go along with 16 blocks. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native began the week with 13 kills and a season-high eight block assists. Wilson put out her best effort at Brevard on Friday night with a season-high 20 kills and six digs on a .529 attack percentage with a pair of solo blocks and three block assists. She capped the week with 14 kills, a .409 attack percentage and three block assists at Lenoir-Rhyne.

"I hoped that I would, but I had no idea coming in," Wilson said of her impact on the court. "All I can do is work hard. We have a solid team and that really made it ten times easier for me to accomplish this."

Wilson currently ranks fourth in the county with a .434 attack percentage and 26^th in the land with 1.15 blocks per frame.

It was a historic beginning of the week for Pickett who notched her 3,000^th career assist against Mars Hill Tuesday night while bringing her career service ace total to 112 by the end of the week to move into fifth place on the school's all-time list.

Pickett posted a pair of double-doubles bringing her season total up to six on the season while averaging 11 assists per set last week. Against the Lions, she handed out 36 assists to go along with 11 digs and three service aces. Pickett posted her ninth career 50 assist contest Saturday at Brevard with 50 assists and nine digs. She capped the week with 46 assists and 15 digs.

"It's awesome because we are not okay with where we are," Pickett said of the early season success. "We are going for the highest thing that we can achieve which is winning conference and the NCAA Tournament. We constantly want to get better."

Pickett currently leads the conference and ranks 46^th nationally in assists per set by averaging 10.19 assists per frame.

The Eagles will host Coker and No. 10 Wingate this weekend at Holt Fieldhouse. First serve against the Cobras is 7:00 p.m. while the first serve against the Bulldogs is 5:00 p.m.

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