Volleyball Sweeps UAA Athlete of the Week Honors

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Carnegie Mellon University senior volleyball players, Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) and Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), were honored by the University Athletic Association (UAA) as UAA Volleyball Athletes of the Week on Tuesday, September 27. The pair led the attack for the Tartans, as they swept competition at their home DoubleTree Invitational on Friday and Saturday this past week.

Newton helped the 17th-ranked Tartans defeat four opponents by dishing out 161 total assists, averaging 11.50 per set. She finished the weekend with 50 assists in a 3-1 win against John Carroll where she also tied her a career-high with eight kills. She tallied six service aces for the week, including four against Bethany College, and picked up seven block assists.

Gibbons, a middle blocker, was a recipient of Newton's assists as she compiled a hitting percentage of .416 for the weekend with a .812 performance in a 3-0 victory against the University of Mount Union. She registered 55 total kills including a career-high 19 against John Carroll. At the net, Gibbons collected three block solos and 10 block assists for the weekend.

The Tartans will take their 15-2 record into UAA play this weekend when they host the first round robin on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2. Play begins for the 17th-ranked Tartans at noon on Saturday against 15th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis.