WISE - The Cavalier volleyball team fought hard but ultimately fell in straight sets to Carson-Newman Wednesday night.
Despite the loss, UVA Wise continued to prove that it can compete in the ever so difficult SAC schedule. Falling to 5-4 (0-3 SAC) on the season, the Cavaliers' record does not tell the full story.
UVA Wise has not lost a set by more than five points in SAC matches this season. Wednesday night was no different as the Eagles took three sets by the scores of 28-26, 25-22 and 25-23.
The first set was a blistering back-and-forth battle between the two sides.
The Cavs jumped out to an early 14-11 lead before Carson-Newman rattled off five points in a row. UVA Wise gave away four of those points on errors including two attacking errors. The short run would serve as foreshadow for the rest of the night as the Cavs ultimately committed 31 total errors to Carson-Newman's measly 20.
UVA Wise fought back after the run with back-to-back points as freshman outside hitter Riley Brandon smashed a kill and freshman libero Abigail Curtis dropped in an ace.
With the score at 20-20 and UVA Wise serving, the Cavs had a chance to pull in front late in the opening set. However, a kill from Carson-Newman senior middle blocker Emmagrace Cobb sparked a 3-0 run to put the Eagles in control 23-20.
After trading points, the Eagles held serve and set point at 24-21. Back-to-back kills from senior outside hitter Kaylee Scarce and junior outside hitter Morgan Blevins coupled with a Carson-Newman attacking error tied the set.
The two teams would trade points all the way up to a 27-26 score in favor of the Eagles until junior outside hitter Taylor Adams sealed the opening set with a kill.
Senior middle hitter Cassidy Farley made history early in the second set. With Carson-Newman leading 11-9 and one block under her belt already, Farley blocked an attempt from Cobb, notching her 200th career block.
Farley is just the second player in UVA Wise history to reach 200 career blocks since the school moved up to Division II. Santana Bishop was the first, tallying 280 blocks from 2013-17.
Farley now totals 203 blocks as she had five against the Eagles including a pair of solo blocks.
Later in the set, UVA Wise trailed 23-19 before going on a quick 3-0 run that included two kills from Scarce. She led the Cavs and finished tied with Eagles senior outside hitter Julia Wheeler for a match-high 15 kills, her seventh match with double-figure kills.
Trailing by just one point, a pair of service miscues handed Carson-Newman the second set and put the Eagles in the driver's seat to take home the match.
The Eagles would do just that in the third set but not without a fight from the Cavs.
Carson-Newman led by as many as seven points in the set, and held a 23-18 lead with match point on the horizon.
Farley responded with a solo block and teamed up with Blevins for another. A kill from Scarce and a Carson-Newman attacking error brought the Cavs within one point. Adams and Cobb would each get one more kill within the final three points to put the match away.
UVA Wise now gears up for a tough road stretch as the Cavs will play their next four matches on the road beginning at Coker University on Saturday, Sep. 23 at 2 p.m.
