GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Looking for a championship repeat, the Tusculum University women's volleyball team has clinched the No. 7 overall seed ahead of the South Atlantic Conference Championship. TU will travel to the second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at 7 p.m.
The quarterfinals for the eight-team championship will be hosted by the higher seeds on Tuesday (Nov. 19) and the final two rounds will be played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in South Carolina on Thursday and Friday (Nov. 21-22).
Tuesday night will also see the top seeded Wingate host No. 8 seed UVA Wise, No. 4 Mars Hill welcomes No. 5 Carson-Newman, and No. 6 Lincoln Memorial travels to No. 3 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 Thursday, followed by the latter teams' contest. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday. 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 (13-13, 11-7 SAC) has won five of its last six matches, including a sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne in the regular season finale.
At the end of the regular season, TU had five players surpass the 100-kill plateau: Addison McLarty (261), Martina Foster (240), McKayla Willey (221), Whitney Thompson (130), and Olivia Crowl (106). Madison Adkins has dished out 911 assists at an 8.93 per set rate. Behind the line, seven Pioneers have reached double figures in service aces: Foster (30), Amiranee Au (26), Adkins (25), Taylor Sanders (22), Sofia De Los Mozos (12), Audrey Tribble (12), and Macey Snapp (11).
On the defensive side, Au has scooped up 426 digs, averaging 4.22 per frame as the primary libero this season. Both Adkins and Sanders have recorded more than 200 digs with 297 and 272, respectively. At the net, Foster is credited with 70 total blocks in 26 matches.
Per the NCAA update on November 14, Tusculum ranks 31st in digs (1,742), 38th in digs per set (17.6), and 45th in attacks (3,719). The dig and attack totals are good for second in the SAC. Individually, Adkins ranked fourth in the conference in assists per set (8.82) and assists (873). McLarty is also fourth across the league in attacks per set (9.98) and attacks (888), while Au is the same level in digs (409).
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Lenoir-Rhyne (23-5, 14-4 SAC) is the No. 2 seed, winning four of the last five before dropping the finale to Tusculum. The Bears had a program-record start to the season at 13-0.
Five players for LR reached triple digits in kills: Kayli Cleaver (300), Jenna Vogen (233), Averie Dale (189), Kathy Peter (141), and Brooke Aeschliman (106). Dale also fired on a .324 hitting percentage. In a setting role, Sydney Karjala (521) and Rachel Wildermuth (443) combined for 964 assists. Six Bears have 20 or more aces: Vogen (32), Dale (27), Karjala (26), Hadley Prince (26), Aeschliman (22), and Wildermuth (20).
Defensively, four have surpassed the 200-dig mark: Vogen (285), Karjala (246), Prince (245), and Lyndsie Warren (206). Dale is the leader at the net, tallying 110 blocks for a 1.15 per set rate.
In the NCAA update, Lenoir-Rhyne is second in the SAC in four categories: blocks per set (2.20), hitting percentage (.210), win-loss percentage (.852), and total blocks (200). Additionally, the Bears are in the top-20 nationally in digs per set (18.25), opponent hitting percentage (.128), and winning percentage. Individually, Dale is 39th in total blocks and 41st in blocks per set, both second in the league.
Links to live stats, video, and tickets for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
2024 SAC Women's Volleyball Tournament
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
SAC Quarterfinal (at higher seeds)
Game 1: #8 UVA Wise at #1 Wingate, 7 PM
Game 2: #5 Carson-Newman at #4 Mars Hill, 7 PM
Game 3: #6 Lincoln Memorial at #3 Anderson, 7 PM
Game 4: #7 Tusculum at #2 Lenoir-Rhyne, 7 PM
Thursday, November 21, 2024
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
Friday, November 22, 2024
SAC Championship (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 PM
