Eagles set for season finale at Stevenson Invitational
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Following four-straight losses in last weekend’s Ohio Valley Challenge, Carson-Newman prepares for its final tournament of the season as the team travels to the third annual Stevenson Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Owings Mills, MD.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Following four-straight losses in last weekend's Ohio Valley Challenge, Carson-Newman prepares for its final tournament of the season as the team travels to the third annual Stevenson Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Owings Mills, MD.
The Eagles (0-13) were swept in three of the four matches they played in their previous two-day event. Head coach Kody DuBarry's team fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Morehead State in the nightcap on Friday. All three of the opening matches in the dual went to three-set tiebreakers with just Micah Depetro (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Abby Struewing (Lebanon, Ohio) being the only pair to take a win in the first flight.
The 3-2 loss was the closest loss of the season thus far for the youthful Eagles crew.
Five C-N tandems have seen wins this season while eight have not. Of those five, two wins have come at the No. 3 spot while another pair happened at the fifth-seed.
C-N's 13 losses on the season tie the program record for most consecutive losses in a season, a record held by the inaugural team in 2015 that went 2-15. No Orange and Blue squad has gone winless in the four years of the team's existence.
The trip marks the Eagles third consecutive appearance in the event. It will also be the final match for seniors Gabrielle Bailey (Pompano Beach, Fla.), Catherine Cook (Morristown, Tenn.) and Morgan Harlan (Ladera Ranch, Calif.). Harlan is the only senior on the team who will see a four-year career with the beach team come to a close this weekend.
Stevenson (14-6) is two weeks removed from its last appearance on the sand when the Mustangs went a perfect 4-0 at a two-day event hosted by Principia. While there, the team won four shutout duals against host school Principia, Ottawa, Lewis and Clark and Morehead State. The Mustangs have seen only one loss in the month of April, a 4-1 defeat against Webber International at the AVCA Small College National Championship back on April 8.
The Eagles have won all three meetings with Stevenson since 2016. The last matchup between the teams saw C-N walk away with a 4-1 victory at the same event.
Carson-Newman has never suffered a defeat in the tournament.
The Stevenson Invitational kicks off Saturday morning. First serve between the Eagles and Mustangs set for 10 a.m. on both days from the SU beach volleyball courts. Live video of the dual will be provided by the folks from the Mustang Sports Network at gomustangsports.com/livevideo. A full recap along with results of each match will be posted at the conclusion of the early duals.
