ANDERSON, S.C. – With three players posting career-highs in kills, the Anderson University volleyball team wrapped up its three-match homestand by outpacing Carson-Newman, 3-1 (25-18, 25-9, 28-30, 25-23) in South Atlantic Conference play, Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson improved to 16-1 overall and 7-0 in conference action, while avenging a loss suffered at the hands of the Lady Eagles in last year's conference tournament. Carson-Newman fell to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the league with its first setback in three outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Redshirt sophomore Hailee Wilhelm led all players with a career-high 17 kills on the strength of a .385 hitting percentage, while fellow sophomore Regan Duty knocked down a career-best 14 kills. Senior Jayln Knight notched her second straight and eighth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 16 digs, with freshman Liliana Kinder posting a career-high 12 kills.
Junior setter Emily Conlin, the reigning SAC Specialist of the Week, handed out a season-high 53 assists and notched her seventh double-double of the campaign by coming up with 29 digs. Freshman libero Meghan DeVaux recorded 24 digs, with senior Emily Conard adding 19 digs. Senior Megan Embry tallied 11 digs on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
After quickly falling behind, 4-1, the Trojans responded with a 7-1 run and would not trail the rest of the way. AU edged out to an 11-7 advantage on an error by the Lady Eagles, but Carson-Newman countered with a 6-2 surge of its own to knot the score for the fourth time, at 11 apiece.
The score was even four more times before Kinder snapped a 15-15 deadlock with a kill and the Trojans pulled away down the stretch.
Second Set
With Conard and DeVaux serving, the Trojans struck early, built an 8-2 lead and never looked back. It was then Wilhelm's turn, as the Columbus, Ohio, native fueled a run that boosted the Black and Gold's advantage to double figures, at 16-6, and the Trojans went on to claim the 15-point win.
Third Set
AU scored the first point of the set and edged out to a 10-5 advantage, but the Lady Eagles chipped away and knotted the score for the first of eight times, at 14 apiece.
Behind a 7-2 surge, Carson-Newman opened its largest lead of the frame, at 19-16, before the Trojans answered with a 4-1 run of its own to even the score at 20 apiece. The Lady Eagles posted two straight points, with Worsham and Duty countering for AU on the other side. Carson-Newman then scored two straight again and was poised to claim the set before AU held off set point twice.
There were four ties and a pair of lead changes down the stretch, before Carson-Newman grabbed the narrow win.
Fourth Set
The final set featured six ties, but just one lead change, as the Trojans took an early 3-2 lead and did not trail the rest of the way.
After AU opened a 9-5 lead, Carson-Newman pulled even at 12 and the score was knotted two more times before Knight and Duty book-ended a 4-1 surge that saw the Trojans capture a 20-17 edge and survive a late charge by the Lady Eagles.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans extended their Abney Center win streak to 21 matches.
• AU is 26-3 at home over the last three seasons.
UP NEXT
Anderson travels to unbeaten Wingate on Friday, with first-serve in the Tar Heel State slated for 7 p.m. The Trojans will wrap up the brief two-match road swing by squaring off against Coker for the second time this season, Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
December 11, 2018
Conlin Earns First-Team Academic All-America Honors
November 23, 2018
Conlin and Wilhelm Earn AVCA All-Southeast Region Honors
November 18, 2018
Duty and Conlin Named to All-Southeast Region Tournament Team
November 16, 2018
Top-Seeded Wingate Holds off Trojans in NCAA Regional Semifinals
November 15, 2018
Conlin Named First-Team Academic All-District
November 14, 2018
Trojan Volleyball Set for Fifth NCAA Tournament Appearance
November 14, 2018
Conlin Earns Second-Team All-Region Honors
November 11, 2018
Conlin Named to South Atlantic Conference All-Tournament Team
November 11, 2018
Volleyball Earns No. 4 Seed in NCAA Southeast Region Tournament
November 8, 2018
Second-Seeded Trojans Continue Quest for SAC Tournament Title
November 3, 2018
Volleyball Wraps up Regular Season with Five-Set Loss at Queens
November 2, 2018
Trojans Overwhelm Catawba in Three Sets
October 24, 2018
Trojan Volleyball Tabbed Fourth in NCAA Southeast Region Rankings
October 22, 2018
Conlin Named SAC Volleyball Specialist of the Week
October 20, 2018
Volleyball Rallies for Five-Set Win at Lincoln Memorial
October 19, 2018
Balanced Attack Propels Trojans to Sweep of Tusculum
October 16, 2018
Wilhelm and Kinder Lead Trojans Past Newberry
October 12, 2018
Trojans Stumble on Road at Carson-Newman
October 11, 2018
Volleyball Heads to Volunteer State Riding Five-Match Win Streak
October 9, 2018
Trojans Notch 12th Sweep of the Season with Win over Mars Hill
October 9, 2018
Trojans Notch 12th Sweep of the Season with Win over Mars Hill
October 8, 2018
Volleyball Wraps up Homestand by Playing Host to Mars Hill
October 6, 2018
Trojans Top Royals in Four Sets
October 5, 2018
Fast Start Propels Trojans Past Catawba
October 2, 2018
Trojans Open Four-Match Homestand by Knocking off Lenoir-Rhyne
October 1, 2018
Volleyball Readies for Longest Homestand of the Season
September 29, 2018
Duty and Kinder Help Lead Trojans to Season Sweep of Coker
September 28, 2018
Trojans Fall to Unbeaten and Preseason League Favorite Wingate
September 27, 2018
Volleyball Set to Embark on Two-Match Conference Road Swing
September 25, 2018
Trojans Stretch Win Streak to Even Dozen by Topping Carson-Newman
September 24, 2018
Conlin Earns SAC Volleyball Specialist of the Week Honors
September 22, 2018
Trojans Remain atop Conference Standings with Sweep of LMU
September 21, 2018
Trojans Defeat Tusculum - Win 10th Straight
September 20, 2018
Volleyball Opens Three-Match Homestand by Playing Host to Tusculum
September 18, 2018
Trojans Earn Five-Set Road Win over Newberry
September 17, 2018
Volleyball Gets Back in Action with Conference Matchup at Newberry
September 12, 2018
Weekend Volleyball Postponed
September 11, 2018
Volleyball Stays Perfect in Conference Play with Win at Lenoir-Rhyne
September 10, 2018
Trojans Sweep Weekly SAC Volleyball Honors
September 8, 2018
Volleyball Runs Win Streak to Seven with Road Win over Emmanuel
September 7, 2018
Trojans Open Home Slate by Sweeping Coker and Erskine
September 6, 2018
Volleyball Opens Home Slate with Tri-Match
September 4, 2018
Conlin Named SAC Volleyball Specialist of the Week
September 4, 2018
Trojans Open Conference Play with Four-Set Win over Mars Hill
September 3, 2018
Volleyball to Open Conference Play at Mars Hill
September 2, 2018
Conlin Named to Queens Fall Classic All-Tournament Team
September 1, 2018
Trojans Earn Pair of Wins at Queens Fall Classic
August 31, 2018
Trojans Open Queens Fall Classic with Loss to Augusta
August 31, 2018
Trojans Claim Four-Set Win over Georgia College
August 30, 2018
Volleyball Readies for Queens Fall Classic
August 24, 2018
Trojans Outlast Indianapolis to Claim Season-Opening Win
August 24, 2018
Trojans Sweep Francis Marion for Second Straight Win
August 23, 2018
Volleyball Set to Open Season at Coker/FMU Fall Invitational
August 22, 2018
Season Outlook: Volleyball
July 16, 2018
Trojan Volleyball Earns AVCA Academic Honor
June 20, 2018
Volleyball Releases 2018 Schedule