Eagles prepare for redemption match against Lenoir-Rhyne in SAC tournament
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- Meeting for the second time this season in the first round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, fifth-seeded Carson-Newman will be hosted by fourth-seeded No. 45 Lenoir-Rhyne on Tuesday in Hickory, N.C. at the YMCA of Catawba Valley.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- Meeting for the second time this season in the first round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, fifth-seeded Carson-Newman will be hosted by fourth-seeded No. 45 Lenoir-Rhyne on Tuesday in Hickory, N.C. at the YMCA of Catawba Valley.
This marks Carson-Newman's fourth appearance in the SAC Tournament this decade, however, the Eagles have not gotten past the quarterfinal in each of the last two attempts. The last time was 2016. The Eagles wrapped up their season on Saturday against Wingate falling 6-0. At the end of the season they garnered a 9-9 overall record and went 5-5 in SAC play.
The lineup this season has consisted of Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) at the No. 1 position going 12-4 with a 6-2 record in conference play as a freshman. Senior Ali Harris (Crossville, Tenn.) spent her time at No. 2 singles where she finished the regular season with a 4-13 overall record and 3-6 against conference competition.
Junior Alisa Liashova (Ukraine) and sophomores Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Abby Reis (Des Moines, IA) all finished with the same records across the board at 8-9 overall and 4-5 in conference play. Price played at the No. 3 position, Liashova at No. 4 and Reis at No. 5 for the Eagles. Rounding out the lineup was Klara Vuckovic (Germany) and Claire Smith (Lexington, Ky.) who shared time at No. 6. Vuckovic went 3-10 overall, 3-5 SAC while Smith 2-3 and 1-1 in conference competition.
In doubles competition, the No. 1 duo consisted of Harris and Resende, and they went 7-8 overall and 4-3 in SAC play. At No. 2, Reis and Price went 7-9, 3-5 SAC and were ranked No. 46 in the country in April according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Liashova and Vuckovic paired up for the majority of the season at No. 3 doubles finished out with a 4-8 overall and 4-3 SAC record. Liashova and Smith were together for four matches in the season where they went 2-2 and 0-1 in conference.
Roughly ten days ago the two squads went head to head in Jefferson City where the Eagles just narrowly fell to the Bears 4-3. The match came down to Abby Reis' (Des Moines, IA) singles match, the fate of the team was in her hands at the No. 5 position. After a long match that went into two tiebreakers in the first two sets, she fell 6-1 in the third to lose the match. Had the Eagles won, they would have hosted the quarterfinal match being played tomorrow at Mossy Creek, a feat that has not been done in seventeen years.
The Bears concluded their regular season with a 17-4 overall record and went 7-3 in SAC play.
Tuesday's match will begin at 2 p.m. in Hickory N.C. at the YMCA of Catawba Valley. The winner of the quarterfinal match will travel to Rock Hill S.C. on Thursday to face the winner of first seeded Tusculum and eighth-seeded Catawba in the semifinals.
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