SALISBURY, N.C. – The Catawba women's volleyball team fell to Carson-Newman 3-0 at Goodman Arena on Friday night, setting up a critical South Atlantic Conference (SAC) matchup on Saturday, November 7th.
Maggie Ayers led the attack with 13 kills on an efficient .286 hitting percentage. Lillie Kate Rogers also produced 13 kills on a .226 percentage. Sydney McCutcheon provided 20 assists and Riley Hill notched 15 digs.
Catawba (13-12, 9-12 SAC) recorded 43 kills on a .195 team hitting percentage, five aces and 52 digs. Carson-Newman (20-13, 13-9 SAC) tallied 44 kills on a .318 hitting percentage, three aces and 45 digs.
Maggie Ayers ignited the blue and white to a fast start, landing four attacks to put the hosts ahead 9-4. The Eagles quickly erased the deficit but two kills from Alani Kincaid put Catawba back in front 15-14. However, Carson-Newman's efficient attack lifted the visitors to a 25-22 first-set victory.
Maddie Henning delivered an ace and a kill early in a back-and-forth second frame. The Catawba Indians gained ground after a 4-0 run highlighted by kills from Rogers, Kincaid and Ayers, taking a 15-12 advantage to the media timeout. The Eagles responded out of the break with a 4-0 run of their own before the two sides traded points until it was 20 all. Rebekah Ayers landed two attacks before Rogers and Kincaid gave Catawba set point with kills. But Carson-Newman would go on a 5-1 run and steal the second stanza 27-25.
The Eagles kept the momentum, bursting to a 12-5 third-set lead. Kendall Jones checked in for Catawba and instantly made an impact, delivering an ace during a 5-0 blue and white run. Carson-Newman gained more ground, taking a 22-16 advantage. Catawba fought back to cut the deficit as Rogers tallied three more kills and made it 23-22. The visitors were once again able to close the set in their favor, this time 25-22, earning the match win.
The Catawba Indians received help around the conference on Friday night, putting them in a win-and-in scenario for the South Atlantic Conference Championship Tournament when they host Lincoln Memorial for Senior Day at Goodman Arena on Saturday, November 7th at 2 p.m.
