GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team is set to begin its final road trip of the regular season with rematches against Newberry (Nov. 3) and Anderson (Nov. 6). The Pioneers are on a seven-match winning streak over the last month.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum (17-2, 13-1 SAC) won a five-set thriller on Senior Night over a feisty Limestone team.
Emiah Burrowes was vital in Tusculum's success, landing 22 kills on a .390 hitting percentage. Raeley Matthews also contributed 19 kills, followed by Carli Pigza (9) and Peyton Gash (7). Elise Carmichael dished out 32 assists, while her counterpart Catherine Clingan totaled 25. The two setters each notched a trio of aces as Carly Sosnowski rounded out the service column with one. Carmichael has now recorded at least one ace in 18 consecutive matches.
Defensively, Sosnowski led all participants with 24 digs. Burrowes and Matthews sealed their seventh double-doubles of the season with 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Lydia Collins led all Pioneers with three block assists at the net.
Of note, Carmichael is just the third player in program history to have at least 1,000 assists and 100 aces. She reached the triple-digit mark against the Saints Friday night. Carmichael is just three aces shy of 10th-most at TU in the career category. Sosnowski is only 66 digs away from 1,000 in her Pioneer playing time.
Carmichael leads Division II in aces per set (0.74) and is second in total aces (51), two shy of the leader. Sosnowski is averaging 5.10 digs per set, good for 41st nationally. As a team, the Pioneers sit within the top-25 in win-loss percentage (8th; 0.895), aces per set (18th; 2.11), and opponent hitting percentage (21st; 0.130).
Across the SAC, TU leads the league in aces per set and win-loss percentage. The Pioneers are second in aces and opponent hitting percentage, while ranked third in assists per set (12.07), hitting percentage (0.220), and kills per set (12.62).
LOOKING AHEAD
Newberry (10-12, 4-10 SAC) went 2-8 in the month of October and is looking to bounce back in a four-match November, starting with the Pioneers. Natasha Bannister has started every match for the Wolves and is the kill leader on the roster, totaling 302 (3.87 per set). Three of her teammates are also in triple-digits for their kills: Taylor Hall (185), Zoe Dinkins (137), and Margaret McMahon (108). Avery Webb is responsible for 746 assists on the season, an over 9.5 per set average. Libero Amanda Berecz heads up the ace and dig categories with 25 and 409, respectively. Zoe Dinkins is on a defensive tear, collecting 97 total blocks, 40 of which are solo.
Anderson (16-6, 11-3 SAC) is riding a four-match win streak into November, which begins with the UVA Wise-Tusculum weekend. Five Trojans share the offensive load, led by Regan Duty's 225 kills. Noelle Knutsen (195), Sadie Kluner (188), Jaelyn Grimm (165), and Maya Learmonth (160) follow Duty. Duty, Knutsen, and Grimm all hit over .300. Madison Roy has dished out 909 assists at an incredible 11.22 per set rate. Hannah Neff has landed 29 aces, just ahead of Meghan DeVaux and Roy with 22 each. DeVaux has played in every set as a libero for Anderson, scooping up 312 digs. Knutsen is the primary blocking threat and is credited with 72 this season (13 solo, 59 assists). The Trojans lead the SAC in assists per set (12.69), hitting percentage (0.245), and kills per set (13.49).
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
At Newberry, fans must be masked when indoors at any facility and can be unmasked when outdoors if fully vaccinated. Indoor events will be at 50% capacity.
Per Anderson guidelines, masks are encouraged inside all buildings on campus. Guests must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from anyone outside of their family group.
