ANDERSON, S.C. – With three players posting career-highs in kills, the Anderson University volleyball team wrapped up its three-match homestand by outpacing Carson-Newman, 3-1 (25-18, 25-9, 28-30, 25-23) in South Atlantic Conference play, Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson improved to 16-1 overall and 7-0 in conference action, while avenging a loss suffered at the hands of the Lady Eagles in last year's conference tournament. Carson-Newman fell to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the league with its first setback in three outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Redshirt sophomore Hailee Wilhelm led all players with a career-high 17 kills on the strength of a .385 hitting percentage, while fellow sophomore Regan Duty knocked down a career-best 14 kills. Senior Jayln Knight notched her second straight and eighth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 16 digs, with freshman Liliana Kinder posting a career-high 12 kills.
Junior setter Emily Conlin, the reigning SAC Specialist of the Week, handed out a season-high 53 assists and notched her seventh double-double of the campaign by coming up with 29 digs. Freshman libero Meghan DeVaux recorded 24 digs, with senior Emily Conard adding 19 digs. Senior Megan Embry tallied 11 digs on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
After quickly falling behind, 4-1, the Trojans responded with a 7-1 run and would not trail the rest of the way. AU edged out to an 11-7 advantage on an error by the Lady Eagles, but Carson-Newman countered with a 6-2 surge of its own to knot the score for the fourth time, at 11 apiece.
The score was even four more times before Kinder snapped a 15-15 deadlock with a kill and the Trojans pulled away down the stretch.
Second Set
With Conard and DeVaux serving, the Trojans struck early, built an 8-2 lead and never looked back. It was then Wilhelm's turn, as the Columbus, Ohio, native fueled a run that boosted the Black and Gold's advantage to double figures, at 16-6, and the Trojans went on to claim the 15-point win.
Third Set
AU scored the first point of the set and edged out to a 10-5 advantage, but the Lady Eagles chipped away and knotted the score for the first of eight times, at 14 apiece.
Behind a 7-2 surge, Carson-Newman opened its largest lead of the frame, at 19-16, before the Trojans answered with a 4-1 run of its own to even the score at 20 apiece. The Lady Eagles posted two straight points, with Worsham and Duty countering for AU on the other side. Carson-Newman then scored two straight again and was poised to claim the set before AU held off set point twice.
There were four ties and a pair of lead changes down the stretch, before Carson-Newman grabbed the narrow win.
Fourth Set
The final set featured six ties, but just one lead change, as the Trojans took an early 3-2 lead and did not trail the rest of the way.
After AU opened a 9-5 lead, Carson-Newman pulled even at 12 and the score was knotted two more times before Knight and Duty book-ended a 4-1 surge that saw the Trojans capture a 20-17 edge and survive a late charge by the Lady Eagles.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans extended their Abney Center win streak to 21 matches.
• AU is 26-3 at home over the last three seasons.
UP NEXT
Anderson travels to unbeaten Wingate on Friday, with first-serve in the Tar Heel State slated for 7 p.m. The Trojans will wrap up the brief two-match road swing by squaring off against Coker for the second time this season, Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.