Lady Eagles set to face Tusculum in opening round of NCAA Tournament on Friday
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman College volleyball team will travel all the way to Wingate, N.C. to face a familiar opponent in the first round of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament. The Lady Eagles play rival Tusculum College Friday at noon.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman College volleyball team will travel all the way to Wingate, N.C. to face a familiar opponent in the first round of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament. The Lady Eagles play rival Tusculum College Friday at noon.
The No. 6-seeded Lady Eagles fell twice to the No. 3-seeded Pioneers this season. Carson-Newman dropped the first game 3-1 on Sept. 14 and lost 3-1 again at home on Oct. 26.
"We've already developed a rivalry for many years," C-N head coach Shannon Mincey said. "I couldn't pick a more competitive opponent to draw in the first round. It's going to be fun for both teams. It's always hard to beat a team three times in one year. We hope that's the case now."
Carson-Newman is trying to build on its past two years of NCAA tournament success. In 2008, the Lady Eagles made the tournament for the first time under Mincey and third time overall. Last year they won their first tournament game in school history.
"You want to do better than you did the year before," Mincey said. "To our advantage, we're doing this for the third time. The first year they lost in the first round. The second year they won in the first and lost in the second round. We know what it takes for each step."
Lady Eagles assistant coach Allyson Corhn was part of that first team to make the NCAA Tournament. Corhn knows her team seems to always turn it on in the postseason.
"It's a special time and great opportunity," Corhn said. "Having been part of the first group that made it, I can tell you we were on cloud nine. Each year having advanced and done a little bit better, it's a great chance for our girls to continue building."
Carson-Newman got some much-needed good news Wednesday morning when they found out that sophomore outside hitter Rachael Bowlin (Morristown, Tenn.) will return to the floor for the first time in weeks. Bowlin missed the last two games of the regular season and the South Atlantic Conference Tournament with an illness.
The key for the Lady Eagles will be their senior leaders, All-SAC outside hitter Carly Mozgai (Greensboro, N.C.) and setter Lara McDonald (Salem, Va.). Corhn played with Mozgai and McDonald when they were sophomores and is excited about how each lady has raised her game.
"I love both of those girls dearly," Cohrn said. "I played with them and enjoyed the friendships that we built as teammates. Now as their coach for two years, I've seen them grow as players and as awesome young ladies. They're great examples for the younger girls. I'm proud of the leadership roles they've stepped in this year. They hold our girls accountable and have a mission for our team."
That mission is to surpass last year's performance and any outside expectations. The Lady Eagles had some trying times this season, dealing with a nine-player roster. Down to only eight in the SAC Tournament, C-N still managed to upset host-team Catawba in an epic 3-2 match, but fell to Wingate in the second round. Mincey feels the loss gave the Lady Eagles a lot to learn from. The loss could have cost Carson-Newman its No. 6 regional ranking.
"We had a game plan against Wingate, but felt we could go out and do our own thing," Mincey said. "We were steady at six throughout the year. We were worried after our losses to Limestone and Mars Hill, but we stayed at six. Maybe we're the most blessed team in the region. We certainly feel that way and it's an opportunity for us to get together one more time and make a run at it."
Earning All-SAC honors along with Mozgai on Nov. 11 was junior middle hitter Nikki James (Cookeville, Tenn.). Mozgai led the SAC with 417 kills and was ranked 12th in the nation, averaging 4.17 kills per set. James recorded 281 kills and 172 blocks, leading the country with 1.72 blocks per set. Still, it will take more than stats to be successful in the tournament.
"One thing that we can stand strong behind is that Carson-Newman always has heart," Corhn said. "We go out with that fire every time. We're low on numbers, but you wouldn't know it if you see our desire."
