#21 Wingate takes down Carson-Newman in three sets
September 27, 2025

#21 Wingate takes down Carson-Newman in three sets

The Bulldogs took care of business against the Eagles, grabbing the lead late in set one and never taking their foot off the gas to stay undefeated in the SAC and drop C-N to 2-2 in conference play.

VIDEO: Cat Collins Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- The Bulldogs took care of business against the Eagles, grabbing the lead late in set one and never taking their foot off the gas to stay undefeated in the SAC and drop C-N to 2-2 in conference play.

"I was very pleased with how we came out," said head coach Cat Collins. "But [we] got pushed and pressured and we didn't handle it the way that we wanted to."

Everything was going right for the Eagles to start the game off, as C-N held the lead all the way until the final two points of the set. Carson-Newman would trade blows with Wingate before three kills by Annie Dziczkowski and one from Emerson Ahsmuhs would put them up 6-3. Wingate would crawl back to tie the set at nines following two attack errors from the Eagles, but C-N would rally, building momentum off of a four-point run from Trinity Hafey from the service line that would cause a Wingate timeout.

Up 13-9 Carson-Newman would remain in control, using two kills from Blair Cherry to go up 20-15 in the set. Wingate would take another timeout and chip away from there. The Bulldogs' Abby Mas landed two shots and one from Maya Van Heyst tied the score at 23. Mas found a hole in the Carson-Newman defense, and Hailey Green would end the set on a service ace with a 25-23 score.

The errors were a challenge for the Eagles in set two, while the Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders. With 18 kills in the second set and an astonishing .481 hitting percentage, Wingate lives up to their conference-leading accuracy mark. Carson-Newman was down 13-2 in the second set following multiple kills from Wingate's Van Heyst, but C-N wouldn't let up. Four kills by Emerson Ahsmuhs late in the set would pull Carson-Newman back within seven and cause a Wingate timeout. But the Bulldogs would quickly rally, using four different hitting options to pick up a 22-12 lead. Despite kills from Dziczkowski, won set two 25-14.

"I honestly think we are just as talented as them, they just make less mistakes," Collins said. "We have great IQ. We have great talent, but just learning how to work with each other and communicate with each other when we are under the fire will be the big thing for us as we get deeper into conference."

Carson-Newman battled in the early goings of set three. Two attack errors from the Bulldogs gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead, and the Eagles kept it close with help from Cherry, Addie Smith, and Maddie Hurst to make it a mere 8-7 lead for the Bulldogs. Then, Wingate would begin to pull away. WU's Gabby Saye landed five kills in the third set while Sydney Morland was relentless from the middle and on the slide play. A 9-0 scoring run from Van Heyst put Wingate up 17-7, and a final five-point run with Emily Johnson at the line would give Wingate the third set 25-10.

Wingate outkilled the Eagles 48-30 and hit .396 on the match. Ahsmuhs was the kill leader for the Eagles with nine, while Dziczkowski followed with eight. Trinity Hafey highlighted the defense with 16 digs while Hurst added four blocks. Five players for Wingate logged eight or more kills, while Van Heyst picked up 14 digs.

Carson-Newman will have a second chance at Wingate when they travel to North Carolina on Halloween for an evening matchup.

"We won't look the same when we get there later," Collins said. " We had a great conversation after the game. It's a great group of athletes. Just making sure that we stay close together as a team, that we play and serve each other first, so that when we get to hard moments like this, we already know what to do."

Carson-Newman returns to the floor on Tuesday, September 30 when they host Emory & Henry at Holt Fieldhouse.

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