ANDERSON, S.C. – After getting past Limestone in four sets last Friday night, the Anderson volleyball team will be playing just its second match in 10 days, when the Trojans visit Newberry for a South Atlantic Conference matchup, Tuesday night. First-serve versus the Wolves is slated for 7 p.m.
WHO: Anderson Trojans (12-4, 6-3 SAC) vs. Newberry Wolves (7-10, 2-6 SAC)
WHERE: Eleazer Arena; Newberry, S.C.
WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
COVERAGE
Live Stats: AUTROJANS.COM
Video: AUTROJANS.COM (Pay-Per-View)
With the South Atlantic Conference splitting into unbalanced divisions, the Trojans and Wolves are squaring off three times this season, with the third and final regular-season contest between the Piedmont Division rivals marking the midway point of a six-match homestand for the Wolves. Newberry has dubbed the midweek matchup as a "Rivalry Night – Red Out" promotion.
The Trojans
Anderson (12-4, 6-3 SAC), which is a game behind second-place Lenoir-Rhyne in the Piedmont Division standings with eight conference contests left in the regular season, is looking for its fourth win in five outings and its fifth victory in seven decisions.
Senior middle hitter Noelle Knutsen is coming off her ninth double-digit kill contest of the season after tallying a match-high 18 kills against Limestone, while junior Jaelyn Grimm added a season-high 12 kills in the win. Senior Liliana Kinder posted 10 kills, marking her tenth double-figure match of the campaign.
Senior setter Madison Roy recorded her second-highest assist total of the season (48) against Limestone and earned her first double-double of the season with a season-high 10 digs.
After posting just four service aces over the two-game road trip through Tennessee, the Trojans' serve game sprang back to life, with AU notching nine against the Saints last Friday night. Sophomore Hannah Neff recorded a match-high three service aces, with Alexandra Petrilli, Lindsay McCurley and Roy each chipping in two aces apiece.
AU has posted at least seven total blocks in 10 matches this season and with Grimm leading the league in blocks per set and Knutsen close behind in third place, the Trojans are pacing the conference in blocks per set.
Newberry
The Wolves (7-10, 2-6 SAC), were a preseason pick to finish seventh in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting an 12-14 overall record last season and finishing tenth in the SAC with a 6-12 mark.
After winning four straight at the Newberry Invitational in early September, the Wolves have dropped two straight decisions and five of their last seven outings, but are 4-3 on the season on their home hardwood at Eleazer Arena.
The Series vs. Newberry
The Trojans and Wolves have met 35 times over the past 23 seasons, with AU holding a 26-9 advantage in the overall series that dates back to the 1999 campaign. The two squads met just once between 2005 and 2009, with 26 of the 35 overall matchups coming since the Trojans joined the SAC in 2010. AU claimed the first three league meetings, with Newberry then winning three straight before Anderson swept each of the regular-season series from 2013-2019.
The Trojans will be seeking their 19th win in the last 21 meetings with Newberry and had defeated the Wolves in six consecutive matchups before Newberry edged the Trojans in five sets in the 2021 spring season-opener at the Abney Center. AU avenged the setback by defeating Newberry, 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18) in the quarterfinals of the SAC Spring Volleyball Tournament, then claimed both meetings last fall.
The Trojans claimed the first two meetings of the season – both at the Abney Center – in straight sets. Kinder has knocked down a team-high 19 kills this season against the Wolves, with Knutsen adding 17 kills and seven blocks. Grimm has added 11 kills to go along with seven blocks, while Roy has dished out 62 assists in the two matchups. Alexandra Petrilli has recorded 30 digs and McCurley has notched three service aces.
