ANDERSON, S.C. – In their first meeting since the quarterfinals of last season's South Atlantic Conference Championship, the Anderson University volleyball team opened its home schedule by outpacing Carson-Newman, 3-2 (25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 24-26, 15-10) Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson (6-4, 3-0 SAC) won its third consecutive SAC contest, marking just the third time in seven seasons that the Black and Gold has opened with three straight SAC victories, while avenging the heartbreaking five-set loss to the Eagles suffered a year ago.
Carson-Newman fell to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the SAC with its second loss in three outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freshman Kathryn Hughes led the Trojans with a season-high13 kills on the night, with juniors Serena Jackson and Marissa Mitter each adding 10 kills apiece. Mitter also tallied three service aces and added 14 digs for her second straight double-double. Freshman Emily Conlin handed out 41 assists, while sophomore Emily Conard posted a match-best 29 digs. Sophomore Jayln Knight came up with 11 digs and Megan Embry notched three aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Trojans overcame Carson-Newman's .304 hitting percentage in the opening set by rallying from an early 4-1 deficit. AU snapped a 7-7 deadlock with 11 consecutive points as the Trojans opened an insurmountable double-figure cushion. The Trojans capitalized on five Carson-Newman errors during the decisive run, while building a 20-9 lead. The Eagles climbed as close as 24-16 before Jackson knocked down the final kill.
Second Set
The Trojans scored the opening point of the frame and never trailed, as they steadily built a 12-5 lead, with Hughes posting a pair of kills in the opening moments. After C-N pulled within 14-13, the Trojans rattled off four straight points as part of a 12-1 outburst to close the set.
Third Set
Mitter recorded five kills in the frame and AU hit .357, but Carson-Newman posted a .333 hitting percentage while overcoming a 14-10 Trojan lead. With the score even at 16 apiece, the Eagles reeled off a 7-2 run to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Fourth Set
The two teams combined for 14 attack errors, while Anderson pushed out to a seven-point lead midway through the set. After falling behind, 19-12, the Eagles rallied to knot the score at 23 apiece and went on to score three of the final points for the win.
Fifth Set
The final set was tied just twice, with the Trojans taking their largest lead of the frame (10-7) on a kill from senior Rachel Burts. Carson-Newman pulled within 10-8, but AU countered by pushing out to a 13-9 advantage and went on for the five-point victory.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans' 11 service aces were the second-most of the season.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans improved to 7-1 in home openers over the last eight seasons.
• Mitter now has six double-doubles on the season.
• Conlin leads the league in both assists and assists per set.
• Conard has eight double-doubles this season.
• Conlin nearly tallied her third double-double with eight digs on the night.
UP NEXT
Lincoln Memorial invades the Abney Center for a Saturday afternoon contest. First-serve versus the Lady Railsplitters is set for 2 p.m. Admission to each volleyball match is $5, but students, faculty and staff, along with members of the Trojan Club will be admitted free of charge.
