Catawba tops Lady Eagles in four sets

SALISBURY, NC -- Catawba moved into a tie for second place in the South Atlantic Conference volleyball race with a four-set win over visiting Carson-Newman on Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym.  The Catawba Indians improved to 14-6 overall and 8-4 in the SAC with the 25-15, 21-25, 26-16 and 25-20 victory.  The Lady Eagles fall to 12-10 and 4-8.

 

Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co. HS) had a big match for Catawba, finishing with 19 kills and four aces.  Setter Jordan Raye (Boonville, NC/Starmount HS) collected 12 kills and handed out 40 assists.  Emily Richardson (Salem, VA/Salem HS) registered six blocks, with Shay Meeks (Kings Mountain, NC/Kings Mountain HS) adding four and Taylor Doss (Boonville, NC/Starmount HS) three.  Meeks added a team-high 17 digs.

 

Carly Swisher (Fort Collins, CO) collected a game-high 21 kills in a losing effort for Carson-Newman.  Nikki James (Cookeville, TN) provided six blocks and six kills.

 

Catawba ran away to claim the easy first set win.  Raye posted seven of her kills and added nine assists in the opening set.  The Lady Indians led 16-13 when Meeks and Richardson delivered kills to spark a 6-0 run that decided the set.

 

Carson-Newman responded late in set two.  Down 20-18, Swisher tied the set with a kill then Lindsey Bryant (Gainesville, GA) combined on a pair of blocks to push the Lady Eagles on top 23-20.  Two Catawba errors provided the set points.

 

The Lady Indians led 17-14 in set three before putting it away on a 7-1 run.  Whitmer had three kills in the run and Raye ended the set on a kill.

 

Whitmer got Catawba off to a quick start in set four with a kill and consecutive aces for a 3-1 edge.  Tied at 5-5, Catawba spurted out with an 11-4 run that was capped by another Whitmer ace.  Carson-Newman rallied two within 17-16 in a run that two kills and a block each from Swisher and Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, CO).  Savannah Tomlinson (Rensenburg, NY/Westhampton Beach HS/UNCG) and Richardson had kills to quell the rally then Meeks had a kill and ace to move the lead to 22-17.  Whitmer killed off the match point.