(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team, ranked 25th nationally, hosted the 2015 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region Championship Saturday, November 14. In the semifinals, the Tartans defeated Bethany College 3-2 to advance to the championship and took second after dropping 3-1 against Swarthmore College.
In the first match of the day, the Tartans defeated Bethany 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-9). Sophomore Eliza Donohue (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and freshman Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) led the Tartans with 13 kills each. Three other Tartans tallied double-digit kills with junior Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) with 12, freshman Sydney Bauer (Allen, Texas) with 11 and classmate Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown SIEM Academy) with 10. Junior setter Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) had 50 assists.
Junior Molly Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach) led with 35 digs while Mueller led at the net with four block assists. Gibbons and Donohue each had three block assists as Gibbons added one block solo.
In the championship match, the Tartans fell to the Swarthmore 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-16, 25-22). The offensive was led by Mueller and Bauer with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Newton added 39 assists in the setback. Higgins recorded 20 digs senior Taylor Bell (Shelby Township, Mich./Detroit Country Day School) added 14 and Bauer had 13 to lead the Tartans defensively.
The Tartans completed their 2015 season with a record of 29-8.
