Eagles eyeing third-straight win in road tussle with Trojans
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Fresh off of a strong 8-1 South Atlantic Conference win over Coker on Sunday, Carson-Newman looks to build upon its two-match winning streak as the Eagles take a trip to Anderson, S.C. to take on the Trojans on Tuesday afternoon at the AU Tennis Complex.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Fresh off of a strong 8-1 South Atlantic Conference win over Coker on Sunday, Carson-Newman looks to build upon its two-match winning streak as the Eagles take a trip to Anderson, S.C. to take on the Trojans on Tuesday afternoon at the AU Tennis Complex.
The Eagles (5-6, 2-3 SAC) jumped out to a quick 5-0 to solidify their win in the matchup on Sunday against the Cobras. The only defeat C-N faced on the day came at the No. 3 spot as Abby Reis (Des Moines, IA.) fell to Jennifer Ruetten. Reis took a 6-3 first set before Ruetten answered in the second set with a 6-2 win to send the match into a third set. Ruetten snuck by Reis with a 7-5 tiebreaker win to cut the C-N lead 5-1, but momentum stayed on the side of the Orange and Blue.
Senior Jill Corsato-Owsianka (Düesseldorf, Germany) won at the No. 2 singles position over Suzanna Mickey in a pair of stout 6-0 sets. The victory pushed her to 2-0 on the week in singles play, helping her to land Player of the Week accolades from the South Atlantic Conference on Monday.
Anderson (6-7, 2-3 SAC) following a 9-0 shutout over Mars Hill last Wednesday. The Trojans have gone 4-4 in matches played on their home courts so far this season and have been successful in both of the conference contests they have hosted at home this year.
Tenth-year head coach Joey Eskridge's team was slated to finish at fourth-place in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. This came after a 2016-17 season that saw Anderson finish at 18-5 on the year. The team made it to the SAC Semifinal where it was knocked out by Wingate, 5-3.
In that same poll, the Trojan tandem of Laura Dean and Jacqueline Olivia was tabbed a second team doubles pairing while Ivy Welborn landed on the first team singles list.
Last Thursday, Dean earned a spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national rankings, landed at No. 25 in the nation. At the No. 1 singles position for the Trojans, the junior has garnered a 10-3 record.
The last time the two teams faced off was in the 2017 SAC Quarterfinal where Anderson advanced following a 5-2 victory over the Eagles.
The Eagles have won just one match against the Trojans in the series dating back to 2011. That win came in a close 5-4 match back in 2016. The Trojans lead the series 7-1.
Tuesday's match is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. at the AU Tennis Complex.
