ANDERSON, S.C. – The Trojans will be looking to avenge a disappointing five-set loss to Carson-Newman in last year's South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals when the two teams tangle Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center. First-serve is set for 6 p.m.
Admission to each volleyball match is free.
The Trojans
Anderson (15-1, 6-0 SAC) has continued to build on its best start in program history and has not lost since falling to Augusta more than three weeks ago. The Trojans are riding an 11-match win streak and have won 20 consecutive home contests dating back to the 2016 campaign.
A balanced offensive attack and defensive effort have been instrumental in AU's success, with the Trojans continuing to pace the league in kills, assists and aces, while ranking second in the SAC in kills per set, hitting percentage, assists per set and block assists and standing third in total digs.
Junior Emily Conlin is coming off double-double performances against Newberry and Lincoln Memorial last week and tallied match-high dig totals in all three victories last week. The native of Glendale, Ariz., continues to lead the league in assists (574), assists per set and aces, while ranking 16th in digs (158) and 18th in digs per set. Sophomore Kaitlyn Grube has tallied double-figure kills in nine contests, including three of the last five matches and leads AU and ranks third in the SAC with 153 kills on the season and is fifth in the league with 3.12 kills per set.
Senior Jayln Knight is one of just two players in the league with at least 140 kills and 177 digs and has posted a team-high seven double-doubles on the season, including her second straight at Newberry last Tuesday with 12 kills and 20 digs. The all-around performer is fifth in the SAC in kills, 14th in digs, 15th in digs per set, 16th in kills per set and 20th in hitting percentage.
Redshirt sophomore Hailee Wilhelm is tied for fourth in the conference with her .333 hitting percentage and ranks third on the team with 95 kills. The Columbus, Ohio, native is 14th in the league with 29 blocks. Sophomore Regan Duty is just behind with 92 kills on the year and freshman Meghan DeVaux leads the squad with 215 digs.
Seniors Emily Conard and Megan Embry have added 117 digs and 105 digs, respectively.
Carson-Newman
The Lady Eagles, who posted a 17-15 overall record a season ago, including a 10-10 mark and a fourth-place finish in the conference, were a preseason pick to finish fourth in the 2018 SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Carson-Newman earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season – its' third appearance in four years – after falling to Queens in the finals of the 2017 SAC Tournament.
Junior libero Morgan Ballard and junior outside hitter Marnie Streeter were named Preseason First-Team All-SAC, while sophomore outside hitter Megan Oldenburger earned Preseason Second-Team All-Conference recognition.
Carson-Newman (5-4, 1-1 SAC) has won two of its last three outings after snapping a three-match skid by blanking Augusta at the Augusta/USC Aiken Tournament two weeks ago.
The Series vs. Carson-Newman
The Trojans and Eagles have met 21 times over the past eight seasons, with 19 of the matchups occurring since AU joined the league in 2010. The overall series, which began in 2008, sees Carson-Newman holding a narrow, 11-10, edge on the strength of the Lady Eagles' upset win over AU in the semifinals of last season's SAC Tournament in Jefferson City.
Carson-Newman won the first four meetings in the series and the Lady Eagles have a 6-5 advantage over the last 11 matchups, with AU sweeping each of the last two years' regular-season matchups.
In the three matchups with Carson-Newman last season, Knight and junior Kathryn Hughes each totaled 25 kills, with Knight adding 41 digs. Conlin recorded 131 assists, 39 digs and five aces, while Conard added 59 digs.
