Nov. 3, 2007

Final Stats

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Carson-Newman held off host Catawba to post a five-game win in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym. The Lady Eagles improve to 21-10 overall and 4-10 in the SAC, winning by the scores of 30-22, 30-25, 22-30, 25-30 and 19-17. The Catawba Indians fall to 24-7 and 8-6.

Carson-Newman used a big blocking game to grab the upset. Katie Troyer (Plain City, OH), Nikki James (Cookeville, TN) and Kelsey Fleck (Celina, OH) combined for two solo and 22 assisted blocks for the Lady Eagles. Fleck added 21 kills with her seven blocks. Catawba was led by Melissa Powers (Bennett, NC/N. Moore HS), who had 29 kills and in the process broke the single-season record. The junior now has 620 kills, surpassing the old mark of 615 set by Heidi Albright in 2000.

Catawba got off to a 7-3 lead in the opener, but Kelli Sorensen (Maple Grove, MN) served a pair of aces to help the Lady Eagles tie the game, then posted a pair of kills to push CN to a 14-11 lead. The game was tied at 19-19, but a late surge by Carson-Newman led to the win in the opening game.

Fleck had consecutive kills midway through the second game as CN took a 17-13 lead. Catawba was within 27-23 before a combo block by Troyer and Fleck and an ace by Troyer gave the Lady Eagles a 29-23 edge. A Sorensen kill gave the final point to Carson-Newman.

Catawba took a 14-7 lead in the third game, but C-N battled back to tie the game at 18-18. Powers had four kills and a block down the stretch as the Lady Indians pulled away from a 22-21 lead. Powers would add four kills and two blocks as Catawba stormed out to a 9-0 lead in the fourth game. Carson-Newman would rally back behind four kills and a block by Fleck to tie the game at 12-12. Catawba had a late 4-1 run for a 25-22 lead and held on to force a final game.

Powers had two blocks to help Catawba grab an early 4-0 lead in the deciding game. Carson-Newman got within 8-7 on a kill by Sorensen, but Catawba stayed on top as the teams would trade points until Catawba led 14-12 on a Powers kill. The Lady Indians made three straight errors to give CN a 15-14 lead. Melissa Griffith (Williamsburg, VA/Lafayette HS) fought off the game point with a kill and again down 17-16. James and Caitlin Schlegel (Anacortes, WA) put CN up 18-17 on a block and Vanessa Kinsler (Gray, TN) killed off match point.

Sorensen had 12 kills and 20 digs for the Lady Eagles with James and Kinsler added 10 kills. James had eight assisted blocks and Troyer had a solo and eight assisted blocks. Griffith added 15 kills and 16 digs for Catawba. Powers added a solo and nine assisted blocks to her game-high 29 kills.