October 8, 2015

Palmetto State trip sees Eagle challenge Peach Belt trio

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – To participate in the South Atlantic Conference/Peach Belt Conference Challenge this weekend, the Carson-Newman Eagles (13-2) prepare for three matches in Aiken, S.C. The first match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday afternoon against the Augusta Jaguars (10-5) with the day wrapping up against the University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers (11-3) at 6 p.m. The weekend closes out at 12 p.m. Saturday afternoon against the Lander Bearcats (15-4).

Carson-Newman

14-2

Augusta

10-6

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Carson-Newman 14-2	25	23	25	25	3
Augusta 10-6	23	25	14	18	1

Carson-Newman

15-3

Lander

16-6

Final	1	2	3	T
Carson-Newman 15-3	25	27	25	3
Lander 16-6	23	25	23	0

VIDEO: Kirby Toribio Interview

Carson-Newman Volleyball Match Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – To participate in the South Atlantic Conference/Peach Belt Conference Challenge this weekend, the Carson-Newman Eagles (13-2) prepare for three matches in Aiken, S.C. The first match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday afternoon against the Augusta Jaguars (10-5) with the day wrapping up against the University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers (11-3) at 6 p.m. The weekend closes out at 12 p.m. Saturday afternoon against the Lander Bearcats (15-4).

"We are really excited about the opportunity," Carson-Newman assistant coach Kirby Toribio said. "We are excited to travel down there and see three different teams that we haven't seen this year for the girls to see some outside competition as well as get a little taste of the what the first weekend might be like for the first weekend of NCAA."

Since coach Dan Ahiers took over the head job at the beginning of 2014, the Eagles are 15-2 in road contests and 22-6 overall in matches played away from Holt Fieldhouse.

The PBC has six teams ranked in the top-90 of the toughest schedules in the nation compared to just two teams in the SAC. Carson-Newman checks in at 92^nd looking to use the matches this weekend to improve its tournament resume.

"One of our goals is that we keep getting better," Toribio said. "We are not the best we can be yet and we want to be there come end of the season. These are the kind of teams we are going to play. We just tell them that it's an important week. We try to prepare as best we can in practice. All three teams are very good offensively and one thing that we have been working on in practice and in matches is stepping up our defense. We have done a good job of doing that and we are really proud of them."

Carson-Newman leads 6-3 in the all-time series with Augusta, but the Jaguars won in Georgia on September 13, 2014 in straight sets. The Eagles were held to their lowest attack percentage of the season in the match hitting just .061. All-American Jenna Wilson was the lone player for Carson-Newman to record double-digit kills with 10. Augusta hit .181 and won the battle at the net with nine blocks compared to just two for the Eagles.

The Jaguars have defeated all three SAC teams on their schedule sweeping Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba while knocking off Queens (N.C.) in five sets to start the year at the Queens Invitational.

Augusta averages 13.46 kills per set on the year ranking behind only Wingate's 13.66 for the top spot in the Southeast Region. It is a number that ranks first in the PBC and 40^th among Division II programs.

Senior setter Alyssa Latham is 33rd in the nation with 10.47 assists per set on the year having racked up at least 40 assists on eight occasions.

In eight prior meetings with USC Aiken the two sides each have four victories, but the Eagles swept the Pacers in the opening round of the Southeast Regional in 2014. The Eagles recorded their first NCAA Tournament sweep in program history in the contest in the slightest of margins winning by a total of six points. Rachel Harper led all players with 16 kills on a .350 attack percentage and Wilson chipped in 13 kills.

USC Aiken has won nine of its 10 matches this season by way of a sweep and is 5-1 at home this season. One of the Pacers losses this season came last Friday against Montevallo, a team that the Eagles won in four sets against on September 26.

The Pacers currently rank fifth in the country in service aces averaging 2.29 per set this season. Ashley Diedrich, the reigning Southeast Region Player of the Year, is 24th with a 0.52 average and Emily Teelon is 48th with a 0.48 average.

Diedrich is piling up another solid year ranking 12^th in the country with 4.89 points per set and 26^th nationally with 4.05 kills per game.

Libero Monica Cardona is 10^th in the country averaging 5.87 digs per set this year, a number that is also good for second in the Southeast Region this year.

The Eagles hold a 7-3 lead in the all-time series with Lander with the last meeting coming on September 16, 2011 as Carson-Newman won in three sets. Lauren Santarelli led all players with 12 kills on a .385 attack percentage in the match as the Eagles hit .232 in the contest.

Lander has spent most of its season on neutral courts this year going 8-1 in such contests this year and has defeated each SAC team it has been played with sweeps of Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne and a five-set win over Queens (N.C.).

The Bearcats calling card this season has been their block ranking second nationally in total team blocks with 162.5 and Reynoia Whipple is 3rd with 85 blocks and 12^th with 1.37 blocks per set. The 2.62 blocks per set ranks ninth nationally.

Lander is averaging 18.97 digs per set this year ranking 14^th in that category as libero Julia Ferraria-Alves is 17^th nationally with a 5.73 digs per set average on the year.

Each match will have live stats available here while the USC Aiken and Lander matches will have a video stream provided by using this link to watch the matches. As always fans are also encouraged to follow @CNathletics and @CarsonNewmanVB on Twitter for in-match updates.

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