October 3, 2025

Anderson stifles Eagles rally to take SAC match in three sets

Carson-Newman had built a lead in sets two and three, but Anderson tightened up to close the door and drop the Eagles to 3-3 in the conference.

Carson-Newman

12-3,3-3 SAC

Anderson (S.C.)

8-4,3-1 SAC

Final	1	2	3	T
Carson-Newman 12-3,3-3 SAC	17	21	21	0
Anderson (S.C.) 8-4,3-1 SAC	25	25	25	3

ANDERSON, S.C. – Carson-Newman had built a lead in sets two and three, but Anderson tightened up to close the door and drop the Eagles to 3-3 in the conference.

"We will continue to use these games to get better. We will better ourselves and our game. We had some great moments but were inconsistent in a lot of areas that created ups and downs for us," said Cat Collins following the loss.

Anderson came ready to play in set one, taking a 25-17 victory following a late push from the Eagles. It was the Carson-Newman block that kept the Eagles in set one. Bella Cardello was a menace on the net, collecting five blocks in the first set while the team combined for six. However, Anderson right-side hitter Mia Elder has been on a tear, with four straight games of 12 or more kills, and tonight, she continued her roll. The sophomore put seven kills away in the first set and evaded the Eagles' defense, who only logged nine digs in the first frame.

Carson-Newman took the lead in the second set following a four-point run from Avery Sziksai at the service line that included an ace for a 6-4 lead. Three attack errors from the Eagles would allow Anderson to tie the set at 10, and both squads would trade blows from there, tied 15-15. Three kills from the Trojans' Maura Kindel would allow Anderson to take a 22-19 lead late in the frame. Despite two kills from Raychel Ehlers, the set would end on a service ace from AU, 25-21.

Set three was a similar story. The set was tied through 13 points in a scrappy tug-of-war match with both defenses scrambling to keep points alive. Three errors from the Trojans and a kill from Emerson Ahsmuhs allowed Carson Newman to pull out to a 16-13 lead that would trigger an Anderson timeout. Two kills from Anderson's Emily Campbell would tie the set at 18, and then the 2024 AVCA All-American activated her arm, grabbing six kills in the final 7 points of the set. Anderson would pick up the final set 25-21.

"We want to focus more on our chemistry and using difficulties to grow into the team we want to be. That starts with our staff and instilling confidence into our athletes and women that God has called and created them to be," Collins said.

Carson-Newman had their lowest hitting percentage of the season. With 20 errors and 28 kills, the Eagles were landing their swings at a .079 clip. The block was a major bright spot for C-N, who notched nine team blocks, led by Bella Cardello with 5. Raychel Ehlers led the defense with eight digs while Maddie Hurst was the Eagles' best attacker, firing seven kills.

This is Carson-Newman's third loss of the season and moves them to 12-3 and 3-3 in conference action. They wrap up this two-game away stand with a trip to Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday at 6 PM.

"LMU is going to be a tough opponent. Playing there is always difficult, and they are very well coached. We want to fine-tune some of our offense and continue to grow our chemistry to help build more resilience," said Collins.