JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With four players reaching double-digit kills, the Anderson University volleyball team opened a challenging two-match South Atlantic Conference road swing by rallying from a two-set deficit and defeating Carson-Newman, 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-10) Friday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
"The team showed a lot of heart tonight by coming back from an 0-2 deficit," said Anderson head coach Todd Hay. "Some of the errors we were making early began to dissipate and our ball control settled in a little bit better against some tough C-N serving. Defensively, I felt like we began to get into a rhythm as the match progressed and at least slow down their strong attackers. It was really fun to watch our team grow up a little tonight. This was truly a team effort!"
Anderson (17-3, 13-2 SAC) stretched its win streak to five straight matches and has won 15 of its last 16 outings, while sweeping the regular-season series with the Eagles. Carson-Newman (15-6, 9-5 SAC) suffered just its second loss of the season at home and saw its win streak snapped at eight consecutive matches.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior middle hitter Hailee Wilhelm shared match-high honors with 12 kills and notched five total blocks, while coming up with five digs. Junior Regan Duty added 11 kills, with sophomore Maya Learmonth and freshman Taylor Weber also tallying 11 kills apiece. Sophomore Hannah Worsham knocked down seven kills on the strength of a .636 hitting percentage and added three block assists.
Senior Emily Conlin posted a double-double with 45 assists and a season-high 29 digs, while coming up with three block assists. Freshman Lindsay McCurley recorded 20 digs and six assists, with junior Christina Stacy tallying 15 digs and three service aces. Sophomore Meghan DeVaux added 12 digs and a pair of aces, with freshman Alexandra Petrilli notching nine digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Nine attack errors doomed the Trojan effort in the opening frame, with Carson-Newman using a 5-1 run to snap a 5-5 deadlock and claim a 10-6 lead.
The Trojans stayed within striking distance and didn't let the deficit grow to more than four, with back-to-back aces by DeVaux pulling AU within 16-15. Following a kill by the Eagles' Kendall Cooley, Learmonth posted a kill and an ace from McCurley knotted the score for just the fourth time, at 17 apiece.
However, the Eagles scored three straight and held off the Trojans with a final 5-1 push.
Second Set
Despite committing 13 more attack errors and hitting just -.036, AU was in it to the end of the set.
With Stacy serving, the Trojans briefly wrestled the momentum away from Carson-Newman by scoring the first four points of the frame and taking an early 5-1 lead. But the Eagles responded by scoring nine straight points en route to doubling up AU, at 10-5.
Noelle Knutsen's second kill of the night and an ace by Petrilli slowed the Eagles, with the Trojans chipping away and gradually taking a 16-14 edge. But C-N answered with a decisive 7-1 run and the Trojans were unable to et any closer than three down the stretch.
Third Set
The Trojans notched a .367 hitting accuracy, with Duty, Learmonth and Wilhelm each posting four kills apiece.
Following six early ties the Trojans' offense came alive, with Learmonth's first kill of the set giving AU a 7-6 advantage and igniting a 9-1 scoring outburst that saw the Black and Gold grab an insurmountable 15-7 lead.
With AU's hitting percentage continuing to hover around .400, the Trojans held at least a five-point lead the rest of the way.
Fourth Set
After the Trojans opened the set by hitting .474 and opening a five-point, 12-7, lead, Carson-Newman used an 8-1 scoring outburst to claim its largest lead of the frame.
After the two teams traded points, Weber knocked down a kill and AU capitalized on a Carson-Newman error to even the score at 16-16. The score was deadlocked five more times, with neither team able to build more than a two-point lead, before Wilhelm snapped the eighth tie of the set with her 12th kill of the night. Weber followed with her ninth kill of the match and the duo clinched the win when they combined for a block.
Fifth Set
Carson-Newman opened the deciding frame by scoring the first two points, but the Trojans countered with seven unanswered points behind Stacy's serving, three Eagle errors and kills from both Weber and Worsham.
The Eagles climbed back within one (8-7) behind a 5-1 surge and were again as close as one, at 9-8, before they knotted the score at nine apiece. A Carson-Newman serve error gave the Trojans a lead they would not surrender and they went on to complete the comeback win by scoring five of the next six points.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans equaled a season-high with 11 total blocks.
NOTABLES
• AU overcame a season-high 37 attack errors.
• The Trojans improved to 3-1 in five-set matches this season.
• AU improved to 9-3 away from home this season.
• The Eagles slipped to 10-2 at Holt Fieldhouse this season.
• The overall series between the two programs is deadlocked at 13 wins apiece.
• Emily Conlin notched her 12th double-double of the season and has averaged 45 assists and nearly 12 digs over the last three matches.
• Hailee Wilhelm has reached double-figure kills in seven matches this season, including two of the last three.
• Maya Learmonth has tallied double-digit kills in 11 matches, including two of the last three.
• Regan Duty has posted double-figure kills in three straight contests and eight times this season.
• Taylor Weber has notched double-figure kills on five occasions.
• Meghan DeVaux has reached double-figure digs a dozen times this season, including two of the last three matches.
• Christina Stacy has notched double-digit digs in two of the last three contests and averaged three aces over the last two matches.
• Lindsay McCurley has reached double-figure digs in seven straight outings and averaged nearly 18 digs over the last eight.
UP NEXT
Anderson will back in action on Saturday, when the Trojans visit Lincoln Memorial. First-serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Mary Mars Gymnasium.
