Aug. 29, 2007

Stats

By Tim Hayes TriCities.com

BRISTOL, Tenn.-- On the bus ride from Jefferson City to Bristol on Tuesday, Carson-Newman College senior defensive specialist Mary Knapp came to a realization.

"I was so excited," Knapp said. "I realized on the way coming here that it would probably be the last time I would be playing volleyball in Bristol. It was kind of like Senior Night in Bristol."

The Tennessee High graduate played well on the back row and made several key plays as Carson-Newman remained unbeaten with a 30-27, 31-29, 30-25 non-conference victory over King College.

Knapp had a large contingent of fans on hand for the match and she responded with a solid performance.

"I had some friends from church and my family was here," Knapp said. "My 5-year-old nephew had his face painted with my number on it. It was pretty fun."

Knapp's biggest contribution came in the second game. Stepping to the service line with the scored tied at 29, Knapp uncoiled two straight textbook serves. Carson-Newman (4-0) scored both times.

"I was a little nervous," Knapp said. "I just had to stay focused."

Staying focused is not a problem for Knapp, according to C-N head coach Shannon Mincey.

"Mary's solid and she's consistent in her attitude. She never gets frustrated and stays on an even keel," Mincey said. "She did a really good job with serve-receive tonight. This was her last go-around in her hometown, and she had a huge crowd. I definitely wanted to make sure she stayed in the whole match and showed her stuff."

Knapp wasn't the only player experiencing a homecoming of sorts on Tuesday. Mincey was a former star for King in the early-1990s, while her assistant - Julia Rafalowski - played for King last season when the Tornado reached the NAIA national tournament.

Meanwhile, freshman outside hitter Chelsie Woods was also making her return to Bristol. The John Battle High School graduate saw some brief playing time in the third game and also had some family and friends in attendance.

"Mary did awesome. She was getting up everything with her digs," Woods said. "She's a good team leader for us and she motivates everybody. Every practice, all the time, she's constantly getting us up."

One night after opening the season with a four-game victory over Bluefield, King (1-1) gave Carson-Newman trouble in all three games but couldn't secure a victory.

"Carson-Newman is always a strong team and we expect that every time we go out with them - they're going to give us everything we want," first-year King coach Chris Toomey said. "I think once we got settled in and got in the rhythm of the game, we began playing some good ball."

A smiling Knapp was also pleased on Tuesday night after her happy homecoming.

"I'm not going to toot my horn, but I've been working hard and I'm just excited to play well for my teammates and get the win," Knapp said.