GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team has clinched the No. 3 overall seed ahead of the South Atlantic Conference Championship. TU will host the six-seeded Catawba Indians in the quarterfinals on Monday (Nov. 13) at 7 p.m.
The quarterfinals for the eight-team championship will be hosted by the higher seeds on Monday (Nov. 13) and the final two rounds will be played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in South Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 15-16).
Monday night will also see the top seeded Wingate host No. 8 seed Mars Hill, No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne welcome No. 5 Carson-Newman, and No. 7 Limestone travels to No. 2 Anderson. All first round matches are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
The winners of the first two games will face one another in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by the latter teams' contest. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday. The winner of the SAC Women's Volleyball Championship will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II regionals.
RECAPPING THE SEASON
Tusculum (19-6, 15-3 SAC) goes into the postseason on a seven-match win streak. The Pioneers also claimed the lone matchup over the Catawba Indians on TU's Senior Night in straight sets.
At the end of the regular season, TU had four players surpass the 100-kill plateau: Emiah Burrowes (293), Aly Freeland (226), Whitney Thompson (135), and Martina Foster (127). Since taking over as the primary setter, Madison Adkins has been stellar, distributing just under 700 assists on the season for an 8.71 per set rate. Freeland and Adkins have dominated the service game with 45 and 37 aces, respectively.
On the defensive side, Caley Sosnowski has scooped up 320 digs as the freshman Pioneer libero, averaging an even four per set. Freeland and Burrowes have also recorded more than 200 digs with 278 and 207, respectively. At the net, Foster is credited with 86 total blocks in 83 sets played.
Per the NCAA update on November 8, the Pioneers rank 12th in opponent hitting percentage (.125) and 17th in aces per set (2.17), both of which top the league. Individually, Freeland is 28th overall in aces per set (.54), good for third in the league. Her ace total ranks 54th in DII, but first across the conference.
SCOUTING THE INDIANS
Catawba (12-10, 10-8 SAC) is the No. 6 seed, thanks to a six-match winning streak since the loss to TU.
The Indians have five players with triple-digit kills: Jordan Danielson (182), Mailie Chretien (152), Katrina Misra (149), Kelcie Love (141), and Chloe Danielson (113). The Danielson sisters are both hitting north of .200. A pair of setters run the offense, led by Siena Roethler's 379 assists, followed by Dara Kane with 326. Kary Hales has landed 19 aces for the Indians, as five others have reached double-figures.
Defensively, Riley Hill heads up the back row with 373 digs, ahead of Hales' 223 as a defensive specialist. The Danielson sisters have a combined 80 total blocks and are responsible for over half of the Catawba rejections.
Catawba is 35th nationally in attacks per set, averaging 37.56. Individually, Hill is 47th in digs per set (4.77), good for second in the SAC.
Links to live stats, video, and tickets for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
2023 SAC Women's Volleyball Tournament
Monday, November 13, 2023
SAC Quarterfinal (at higher seeds)
Game 1: #8 Mars Hill at #1 Wingate, 7 PM
Game 2: #5 Carson-Newman at #4 Lenoir-Rhyne, 7 PM
Game 3: #7 Limestone at #2 Anderson, 7 PM
Game 4: #6 Catawba at #3 Tusculum, 7 PM
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
SAC Semifinal (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4:30 PM
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 PM
Thursday, November 16, 2023
SAC Championship (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 PM
