JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – A balanced offensive attack and a stellar defensive effort lifted the Anderson University volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-21, 26-28, 26-24, 25-10) South Atlantic Conference win past defending Southeast Region Champion Carson-Newman, Friday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
Anderson improved to 13-10 overall and 9-6 in league action by sweeping the season series with the Eagles for the second time in three years and earning its fourth win in five outings. Carson-Newman fell to 3-18 overall and 2-11 in the league with its fourth consecutive loss.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Rachel Burts shared match-high honors with a season-high 17 kills and added eight total blocks, while junior Marissa Mitter posted a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Senior Allison Gaminde tallied eight kills and five block assists, with junior Serena Jackson recording six kills. Freshman setter Emily Conlin dished out a match-high 47 assists and added 12 digs for a double-double, while sophomore Jayln Knight came up with a season-high 22 digs. Sophomore Emily Conard shared match-high honors by collecting 26 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Trojans hit a red-hot .341 during the set, built a quick double-digit lead and then held off a late charge by the Eagles. Burts, Mitter and Jackson each posted four kills apiece.
The Trojans sprinted to a quick double-digit 14-4 lead on the strength of a 12-3 outburst that saw AU hit .533 during the run. Burts and Jackson helped fuel the surge with a pair of kills apiece.
But the Eagles countered with six unanswered points to close within 14-10, before AU rebuilt a seven-point lead, at 17-10. Carson-Newman continued to chip away and rallied within 19-18 behind five unanswered points. Burts slowed the Eagle's with her fourth kill of the frame, but C-N's rally continued as the Eagles CN knotted the score for the first time of the frame at 20-20. But the Trojans refused to surrender the lead and responded by claiming the set with a 5-1 run, which was powered by strong serves from sophomore Megan Embry and a pair of kills from Jackson.
Second Set
The second set was a back-and-forth struggle, while double-figure attack errors (12) doomed the Trojan effort and a late push carried Carson-Newman to the narrow victory. The largest lead by either team was three, with the two squads combining for 19 attack errors.
Carson-Newman took its first lead of the night with an early 2-1 edge, but the Trojans capitalized on a pair of Eagle errors to fuel a 5-1 outburst and turn the one-point deficit into a 7-4 advantage. But C-N quickly erased the Trojan lead with four straight points. AU methodically pushed out to a 15-12 advantage – it's largest, before the Eagles posted six consecutive points to take an 18-15 lead – their first since leading 3-2.
The Trojans stayed within striking distance and held off match point twice before knotting the score for the seventh time, at 24 apiece. The two teams exchanged the lead twice before Carson-Newman claimed the narrow victory.
Third Set
The Trojans steadily climbed out of an early hole and committed just seven attack errors, while holding Carson-Newman to a .088 hitting percentage.
AU snapped a 5-5 deadlock with back-to-back kills from Mitter and Burts and would not trail again. The Trojans steadily built a 14-8 lead, then held off a late Carson-Newman rally that saw the Eagles knot the score at 24 apiece. AU then took advantage of back-to-back Carson-Newman miscues to claim the win.
Fourth Set
The Trojans carried the momentum over to the fourth set by erupting for the first five points of the frame and racing out to a 13-5 advantage. AU built a double-digit, 16-6, lead and went on to post the decisive 15-point victory.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE GAME
Knight and Conard combined for 48 digs on the night.
NOTABLES
• Conard has tallied double-figure digs in 21 contests this season.
• Mitter has recorded 13 double-doubles this season, including three in the last four matches.
• Conard's 26 digs were just three shy of her season high.
• Burts now has four straight double-figure outings and has reached double-figure kills in eight of the last nine contests.
• Mitter has posted double-figure kills in 16 contests this season.
• Conlin has posted at least 30 assists in 18 matches this season and has reached the 40+ assist plateau on 11 occasions.
• Conlin's 47 assists were her sixth-highest tally of the season.
• Burts has recorded 13 total blocks in the last two matches.
• Conlin has tallied double-doubles in three straight matches and has 11 double-doubles on the season.
UP NEXT
Anderson will be looking to continue building momentum Saturday, when the Trojans visit Lincoln Memorial. First-serve versus the Lady Railsplitters is scheduled for 2 p.m.
