JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Catawba women's volleyball team opened the first of a four-match road stretch by traveling to Carson-Newman on Friday night. The Eagles took the final two sets to prevail 3-1.
Freshman outside hitter Maggie Ayers was terrific offensively, generating 17 kills on a .268 hitting percentage. Lillie Kate Rogers added 13 kills on a .190 percentage and 11 digs. Rebekah Ayers rounded out the double-digit scorers with nine kills at an efficient .350 rate and two block assists.
Sydney McCutcheon notched a double-double with 24 assists and 15 digs. Camden Bizot recorded 16 assists, eight digs and three aces. Riley Hill posted a game-high 18 digs.
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Catawba (12-9, 8-9 SAC) continued its strong play in the serve-receive department, recording seven aces and just three service errors to the Eagles' six aces and seven service errors. However, Carson-Newman (17-8, 10-7 SAC) produced the stronger attack with 60 kills on a .298 team hitting percentage to Catawba's 54 kills at a .179 rate. The Eagles also held a 10-4 advantage in blocks.
Catawba took an early 3-0 first-set lead after a McCutcheon ace and kills from Alani Kincaid and Rogers. The Eagles answered, taking an 8-6 advantage before Bizot checked in and immediately delivered three straight aces. Carson-Newman would make another strong push, retaking a 20-15 lead. Giulia Allison landed the blue and white's fifth ace of the set before two Rogers kills and a successful challenge from head coach Brenn Ferguson brought Catawba right back in it. However, the Eagles would hang on to take the highly contested first frame 25-22.
Maggie Ayers came out firing early in the second, unleashing four kills to give Catawba an 11-4 lead. The Eagles surged to cut their deficit to 17-16. Rogers would take over in clutch time, adding three more kills before Rebekah Ayers slammed the door shut with a set-sealing point as the blue and white hit at a .222 rate in a 25-20 second stanza to even the match.
In the third, Carson-Newman gained an 8-4 advantage, but Maggie Ayers found another early rhythm, scoring three kills to put Catawba in front 9-8. The blue and white generated a strong attack, but the Eagles offense erupted for 19 total kills and prevailed, 25-19.
Maggie Ayers continued her impressive night in the fourth, recording Catawba's first four kills of the set. Lauren Patrick fired an attack through the middle to bring the blue and white within one, trailing 14-13. The Eagles offense delivered another scoring run before Maddie Henning served an ace, but the hosts would go on to claim a 25-20 fourth-set victory, winning the match 3-1.
The Catawba Indians will stay in the Volunteer State, heading to Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. for more SAC action.
