GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University women’s beach volleyball team has won its fourth-straight SAC Beach Challenge, sweeping the doubleheader over Carson-Newman on Tuesday (Apr. 9).
Tusculum (18-9) rounds out the 2024 season at the AVCA Small College Beach Championships this weekend (Apr. 12-14). The Pioneers begin with pool play, facing Catawba, Florida Southern, and Concordia Irvine.
Match 1: Tusculum 3, Carson-Newman 2
The Pioneers rallied from a 2-1 match deficit to the Eagles, winning the final two flights and, ultimately, the match.
The No. 6 exhibition flight finished first, with Diana Bierwagen and Emily Venable tallying a 22-20, 21-13 victory.
C-N took the first point of the match at No. 5 as Katie Murphy and Morgan Willis dropped a 21-17, 21-15 decision.
Charlyn Miller and Katie McLamb tied the match at 1-all with their victory at the 4’s: 21-17, 21-9.
Carson-Newman started the second wave with a result in its favor, as Kyla Oppenhuis and Brynn Smith dropped their No. 2 flight by identical 21-18, 21-18 scores.
At the 3’s, Riley Rushing and Hannah Marsh evened the match, winning 21-17, 21-12.
It all came down to the top flight. Morgan Browne and Olivia Browne won the first set with ease (21-11). Their Eagle opposites closed the gap, but the twins and Tusculum were victorious 21-17.
Match 2: Tusculum 4, Carson-Newman 1
TU proved their dominance over C-N, winning the second match by an even greater margin.
McLamb and Miller got the scoring started with their decision at the 4’s, 21-11, 21-15.
The Eagles’ lone point came at No. 5 over Bierwagen and Venable, 21-19, 21-17.
At No. 6, Murphy and Willis survived a comeback attempt 21-8, 20-22, 15-7.
TU swept the second wave over the rival C-N.
Oppenhuis and Smith won at No. 2 21-14, 21-18.
Rushing and Marsh took the straight-set victory at the 3’s 21-13, 21-15.
The Browne twins capped off the match at the top flight, enduring a threat by their opposites 21-17, 18-21, 15-12
