GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team completed a comeback for the ages over archrival Carson-Newman on Friday (Sept. 24) night in front of a roaring crowd. TU outlasted the Eagles in a five-set rollercoaster.
Historically, this is just the third time that the Pioneers have started the season 9-1 and only the second since joining the NCAA. TU's 5-0 SAC launch is tied for the program-best in 2010. The current nine-match winning streak is Tusculum's longest stretch since 2014.
The Black and Orange (9-1, 5-0 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-14, 20-25, 15-25, 25-12, 15-10 to hand the Eagles (6-7, 2-2 SAC) a loss.
Carson-Newman had just one attacker finish with double-digit kills, Julia Wheeler (13). Abbey Hildenbrand collected 26 assists, while Wheeler also led with four service aces. McKenna Hall and Hildenbrand also landed a pair for the Eagles. Hayden Barton added a team-high 16 digs, followed closely by Wheeler (13) and Hildenbrand (12). Taylor Keeran was involved in every block for Carson-Newman and is credited with three block assists.
Carli Pigza earned 13 kills in the five-set thriller, just ahead of Emiah Burrowes (10) and Peyton Gash (10). The latter fired on a match-high .348 hitting percentage. Elise Carmichael and Catherine Clingan dished out 29 and 17 assists, respectively, to fuel the Pioneer offense. The setting duo combined for 10 aces as well. For the fourth time in 10 matches, Carmichael landed six aces, while Clingan served up a season-high four. Defensively, Carly Sosnowski reached the 20-dig mark for the sixth time in 2021 and Burrowes upped her career-best to 19 digs. Raeley Matthews also finished in double-figures with 14 digs. Bailey Parker came up big at the net, posting a collegiate-best six total blocks (one solo, five assists). Pigza and Raven Chance each contributed three blocks to the winning cause as well.
Carson-Newman hit .110 as a team with 38 kills and 23 errors in 136 total attempts. Tusculum hit .176 with 50 kills, 24 errors and 148 total attacks. The Pioneers led the Eagles in assists (47-36), digs (65-63), aces (15-9), and total blocks (9-3).
The Eagles never led in set one as Matthews registered the first kill of the opening frame. Holding an 8-6 advantage, the Pioneers fired off five-straight points, including a pair of Pigza kills and a Carmichael ace. TU tallied two scores for every Carson-Newman point to extend the lead to 22-14. Parker landed a kill and Matthews followed up with her lone ace of the match. An Eagle attack error closed out the frame, just as it began.
Tusculum started out hot in the second set before Carson-Newman rallied to even the match. TU held an 11-5 advantage after consecutive kills by Gash, Matthews, and Chance. A timely substitution by the Eagles began a 7-1 run to tie the set at 12-all. The Pioneers took back the advantage 19-17 before an 8-1 stretch clinched the frame for the visitors.
Carmichael rattled off consecutive aces and Parker followed up with a kill to kick off set three. TU came out strong, but Carson-Newman used numerous spurts to take the match lead, 2-1. The Eagles took advantage of the Pioneers' service reception struggles, garnering six points via the ace.
However, the tables turned in the fourth set as Tusculum returned the favor with five aces of its own, including three-straight by Clingan. Abbie Holt was subbed in at 4-all and TU never looked back. After the 6-6 tie, the Pioneers put the frame out of the Eagles' reach, sparked by a 16-4 run. Carmichael put the final touch on the 25-12 set win with yet another ace.
With renewed energy, Tusculum claimed the first four points of the match-determining set. Pigza and Parker teamed up on a block to start off the final frame with emphasis. Carmichael's two aces surrounded a Pigza kill to hold the Eagles at bay. Lauren Collins entered the match at 6-2 and immediately made an impact, recording an ace in her first collegiate action. Carson-Newman closed the gap to two at 12-10, but TU closed the book in the season's first meeting on a Parker kill.
Tusculum wraps up its four-match homestand on Saturday (Sept. 25) against another in-state rival, Lincoln Memorial. First serve from Pioneer Arena is set at 2:00 p.m. TU will seek its first 6-0 SAC start since joining the league in 1999.
