Eagles take home a four-set win from Bears
September 27, 2014

Eagles take home a four-set win from Bears

HICKORY, N.C. – It took the Carson-Newman Eagles (10-3, 6-0 South Atalntic Conference) four sets to defeat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (9-4, 3-3 SAC) to earn its 10th victory of the season at Shuford Gymnasium Saturday afternoon 25-20, 25-19, 22-25 and 25-22.

HICKORY, N.C. – It took the Carson-Newman Eagles (10-3, 6-0 South Atalntic Conference) four sets to defeat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (9-4, 3-3 SAC) to earn its 10th victory of the season at Shuford Gymnasium Saturday afternoon 25-20, 25-19, 22-25 and 25-22.

"Two tough road matches and we earned them both," head coach Dan Ahiers said after the match. "We really controlled the net tonight. If we weren't blocking it to the floor, then it was coming off our block like a free ball which put us in a great position to score."

Carson-Newman used a 7-2 run in the opening frame to jump ahead 19-13 on the Bears. A kill by senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) gave the Eagles a first set win. Senior middle blocker Jenna Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) led the way with four kills as the visiting unit tallied four blocks.

The Eagles pounded the surface in the second stanza by hitting .341 in the set. Carson-Newman never trailed, but had to stave off several Lenoir-Rhyne runs that cut into the deficit before the Eagles wrapped up the frame.

Set three was the closest set of the match with six ties and three lead changes. Most of that action occurred early as the Bears pulled away late.

In the fourth set, the Eagles won nine of the first 13 points to take a commanding edge that the home team was unable to overcome. Wilson hammered a ball to the floor to clinch the victory.

Harper paced the Eagles with 17 kills and nine digs while Jenna Wilson hit .409 with 14 kills and three block assists. Senior outside hitter Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had ten kills.

"We got back to being a well-balanced attack," Ahiers said of the offense. "Lenoir-Rhyne had no idea where we were going to attack from next."

Senior setter Kristen Pickett (Cleveland, Tenn.) racked up another double-double, her sixth of the season, with 46 assists and 15 digs.

The Eagles are back in action Friday night when the Coker Cobras come to Holt Fieldhouse for a 7:00 p.m. first serve.

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