October 14, 2025

Volleyball smashes single-game hitting percentage record in sweep of Tusculum

With just four errors on the game, the Eagles hit nearly .200 above the last record while Hurst hits top ten single game hitting percentage mark

Tusculum

7-8,5-4 SAC

Carson-Newman

14-3,5-3 SAC

Final	1	2	3	T
Tusculum 7-8,5-4 SAC	11	18	13	0
Carson-Newman 14-3,5-3 SAC	25	25	25	3

VIDEO: Jessica Moore Interview

VIDEO: Blair Cherry Interview

VIDEO: Maddie Hurst Interview

HIGHLIGHTS

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With just four errors on the game, the Eagles hit nearly .200 above the last record while Hurst hits top ten single game hitting percentage mark

It felt like the Eagles couldn't miss inside their home gymnasium, putting down 49 kills and hitting an astounding .616 on the match. Their four attack errors were a season low, and set a single-game record for attacking percentage in the history of Carson-Newman volleyball.

"We were stable and consistent the entire game, which is really good. We've been working on starting strong and finishing strong. We really showed that today," said assistant coach Jessica Moore.

The crowd inside Holt Fieldhouse showed up for their home team, and Tusculum fans traveled to Jefferson City for a look at the 11E Rivalry. Despite the largest crowd of the season and the lack of head coach Cat Collins, who was missing from the bench tonight after celebrating the birth of her child, the Eagles looked the most confident that they have all season. Set one was an explosion of the C-N offense. Once the Eagles pulled out to a 9-7 lead, it was all gas, no brakes, toppling the Pioneers 25-11 in set one. Blair Cherry was able to option all her hitters, allowing seven different Eagles to notch a kill in the first frame. They held Tusculum to just five digs.

"We've been working on that a lot the past few games, just spreading the ball, keeping a fast offense, letting the hitters hit," said Cherry. "And then the passes were just there tonight, so it made my job easy."

In set two, it was a bit tighter. The score was tied 8-8 early until Raychel Ehlers went on a five-point run from the service line. Tusculum would take a timeout to try and stop the bleeding, but the Eagles carried their momentum, led by the sophomore Maddie Hurst. With seven kills in the second set, Hurst helped C-N run away with the 25-18 set victory. Tough serving from the Eagles was critical in keeping the Pioneers out of system.

"I'm getting back into the groove of things after surgery," said Hurst. "So this night, I had a little more confidence going in and Blair did a great job setting me up."

That tough serving continued in the third set. Emerson Ahsmuhs was the proponent of the help from the line with three in a row to help the Eagles to five service aces in the third set. Cherry used six of her hitters again in set three, led by Ahsmuhs with four to hold the Pioneers to just 4 digs in the final frame. The set ended off a Trinity Hafey ace to give C-N their second victory and home this season.

"They played for Coach Cat and baby Palmer," said Moore. "We put all of our trust in them, they put trust in our coaching staff. Cat trusts us a lot. We were all confident going into it. It really just comes down to trust and just believing in each other."

Maddie Hurst had her best game of the season this evening. With 15 kills, Hurst notched the third-highest single-game hitting percentage in C-N volleyball history (.636) and set her season high in kills.

"They just bring confidence into me even when I'm down. They talk so highly of me, and I think that's a big thing," said Hurst.

Emerson Ahsmuhs and Annie Dziczkowski were also on fire tonight with 10 kills apiece. Ahsmuhs also grabbed a team-leading 11 digs to hand her eighth double-double of 2025 and her second in a row.

Cherry notched her 10^th game this season with 30 or more assists and helped on defense with seven digs. Her service ace in tonight's game marks the 7^th game in a row she's aced an opponent.

Trinity Hafey chipped in nine digs and also contributed to the best serving performance the Eagles have seen since September 9^th. Her two aces were second only to Ahsmuhs for a team total of eight.

Carson-Newman volleyball is now 5-3 in SAC play and 14-3 overall. They will travel to Coker on Friday for the inaugural meeting of the 2025 season between the two teams.

"It's a long drive, so when we get there, we're just going to have to wake up a little bit and have some energy, but I think we're going to be really prepared. We have the rest of the week to prepare and I think we're going to be ready," said Hurst.

Their two-game winning streak is the longest since they opened the season with 10 wins in a row.

"It really starts with practice tomorrow and just going into practice knowing that we still have a tough schedule ahead of us and staying confident and consistent in what we're doing," Moore said.