GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team wraps up its final home weekend of the season by hosting Coker and Wingate on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 15-16). Personal milestones are looming, with an impact on the program record book forthcoming.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum (13-2, 9-1 SAC) won yet another weekend at home, climbing to a 7-0 mark in Pioneer Arena. The Pioneers swept past Catawba and went four sets against Queens.
Emiah Burrowes earned SAC AstroTurf Offensive Player of the Week honors for her weekend performance. She racked up 30 kills (4.29 per set) on a .414 hitting percentage. Raeley Matthews was just behind with 29 kills, followed by Carli Pigza (19), Peyton Gash (17), and Bailey Parker (10). The latter hit .474 with only one attack error, while Gash fired at a .400 rate. Additionally, Lydia Collins went 5-for-10 on her swings. Elise Carmichael and Catherine Clingan split the setting duties, collecting 52 and 49 assists, respectively.
Defensively, Carly Sosnowski averaged a 6.43 dig per set average, notching a grand total of 45. In the win over Queens, the libero recorded a career-high 31 digs. Matthews was next up with 21 digs for the weekend. In the front row, Parker is credited with a team-best three blocks (one solo, two assists). Matthews, Burrowes, and Collins each garnered a pair of stuffs.
Personal and program marks are within reach this weekend. Carmichael needs only 14 assists and 10 aces to take over 10th in program history in each career category. She would be just the third within the top-10 in both statistical rankings. Additionally, if Sosnowski can scoop up 31 digs across the weekend, she would have 1,000 for her career, including 110 digs at a previous stop.
Carmichael leads Division II in aces with 44 and ranks second in aces per set (0.81). Sosnowski is now averaging over five digs per set (5.12), good for 37th nationally. As a team, the Pioneers sit within the top-50 in win-loss percentage (19th; 0.867), aces per set (22nd; 2.12), and total aces (34th; 123).
Across the SAC, TU leads the league in aces per set and win-loss percentage. The Pioneers are second in aces, while ranked third in assists per set (12.07), hitting percentage (.210), and kills per set (12.64).
LOOKING AHEAD
Coker (2-15, 0-10 SAC) opened its week up with a Tuesday night sweep of Fayetteville State in a non-conference contest. The Cobras are one-of-two teams yet to record a SAC win, alongside UVA Wise, but will change as the two face off on Saturday (Oct. 16). The Coker offense is heavily reliant upon Chelsey Blume with 124 kills at a 2.14 per set rate. The Cobras use a two-setter system featuring Rami Mullen and Ashley Carson collecting 260 and 192 assists, respectively. Carson (13) and Makayla Harris (11) are the lone players with double-digit aces. Harris (169) and Taylor Parker (168) are separated by just one dig for the team lead. Up front, Blume is credited with 47 total blocks (16 solo, 31 assists), good for eighth across the SAC.
Wingate (12-2, 8-2 SAC) comes to Greeneville for a Saturday (Oct. 16) matinee seeking revenge on the Pioneers. Tusculum handed the Bulldogs their first loss of the season and on their home court. Sophie Schaff (157) heads up the Wingate offense, followed by 114 kills from Quin Sutphin and 107 via Maggie Young. Shannon Kasprak is averaging 9.48 assists per set, totaling 474 thus far. She also leads the Bulldogs with 18 aces, just ahead of Taryn Price (17), Young (13), and Marianna Warren (13). Defensively, Price has the team-high 208 digs, while at the net, Schaff is second in the SAC in total blocks (70) and blocks per set (1.37).
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
At Tusculum, face coverings are required indoors for all individuals when physical distancing cannot be guaranteed, even those who are protected. For volleyball in particular, visiting fans will not be allowed. However, a pass list will be made for the visiting team, which allows two family members per student-athlete.
