GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team has clinched the No. 6 overall seed ahead of the South Atlantic Conference Championship. TU will travel to the third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Nov. 18) at 7 p.m.
The quarterfinals for the eight-team championship will be hosted by the higher seeds on Tuesday (Nov. 18) and the final two rounds will be played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in South Carolina on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 21-22).
Tuesday night will also see the top seeded Wingate host No. 8 seed Coker, No. 4 Carson-Newman welcome No. 5 UVA Wise, and No. 7 Mars Hill travel to No. 2 Anderson. All first-round matches are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, with the exception of Anderson versus Mars Hill (6 p.m.).
The winners of the first two games will face one another in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by the latter teams' contest. The championship game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday. 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 (9-15, 7-11 SAC) is 2-4 since homecoming week, which includes a pair of losses to Lenoir-Rhyne in a four-day span.
At the end of the regular season, TU had four players surpass the 100-kill plateau: Mackenzie Land (209), Karris Oller (185), Jaida Alvin (182), and Grace VanZwieten (153). Victoria Church has dished out 715 assists at an 8.03 per set rate, both good for fourth in the SAC. Behind the line, five Pioneers have reached double figures in service aces: Land (25), Maggie Kane (20), Mia Wave-Nelson (18), Church (17), and Taylor Sanders (17).
On the defensive side, Land (207), Sanders (202), and Church (200) led the dig category with Mary Katherine Hall and Wave-Nelson just behind with 191 and 185, respectively. At the net, Isabella Bianchin, Oller, and Breana Pelbath are tightly bunched with between 37 and 34 total blocks.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Lenoir-Rhyne (20-6, 14-4 SAC) is the No. 3 seed, winning the tiebreaker over Carson-Newman. The Bears are 12-1 at home in Shuford Arena this season.
Five players for LR reached triple digits in kills: Kayli Cleaver (301), Emmie Modlin (207), Averie Dale (199), Emmaleigh Allen (186), and Addison Vary (110). Dale also fired on a .405 hitting percentage. The Bears also used three in a setting role to combine for 963 assists: Alicia Barbarito (432), Modlin (312), and Sydney Karjala (219). Six teammates have between 28 and 33 service aces: Karjala, Hadley Prince, Barbarito, Allen, Dale, and Brooke Aeschliman.
Defensively, Prince and Allen lead the dig category with 449 and 245, respectively. Dale is averaging an even block per set for a total of 86.
In the NCAA update on November 16, Lenoir-Rhyne is in the top-25 nationally in opponent hitting percentage (15th; .135) and aces per set (21st; 2.24). The aces per set ratio and total aces (199) are tops in the SAC. Individually, Modlin is fifth in triple-doubles (3), while Dale is eighth across the country in hitting percentage.
Links to live stats, video, and tickets for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
2025 SAC Women's Volleyball Tournament
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
SAC Quarterfinal (at higher seed)
Game 1: #8 Coker at #1 Wingate, 7 PM
Game 2: #5 UVA Wise at #4 Carson-Newman, 7 PM
Game 3: #7 Mars Hill at #2 Anderson, 6 PM
Game 4: #6 Tusculum at #3 Lenoir-Rhyne, 7 PM
Friday, November 21, 2025
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
Saturday, November 22, 2025
SAC Championship (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3 PM
