Four Tartans Named to the All-UAA Volleyball Squad
Posted: Nov 08, 2016

Four Tartans Named to the All-UAA Volleyball Squad

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Four Carnegie Mellon University volleyball players were named to the All-University Athletic Association (UAA) team when the squads were announced November 8. Senior middle blocker Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and classmate setter Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) were named to the first team, sophomore Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown STEM Academy) earned second team honors while senior libero Molly Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach) was named honorable mention.
    
Gibbons is making her fourth appearance on the squad and second straight on the first team. She was named to the second team at the conclusion of her sophomore season and honorable mention following her freshman campaign. Newton and Higgins are honored for the third time and Mueller is making her first appearance. Newton was named second team a year ago and honorable mention after her sophomore season while Higgins has been an honorable mention honoree three straight seasons.
    
Gibbons leads the team with a .316 hitting percentage and ranks fifth individually in the UAA. Her 298 kills and 2.61 kills per game rank second on the team. The senior also finished second on the team with 75 blocks. She tallied a career-best 19 kills in the Tartans victory over John Carroll earlier this year as well as tabbing her 1,000th career kill. Gibbons currently ranks 11th on the school's all-time kill list with 1,111 for her career.  

Newton leads the team with 1,055 assists which ranks her third in the UAA. Earlier this season, Newton tallied her 3,000th career assist and currently ranks fifth on the school's all-time assist list with 3,492 for her career. The senior ranks third on the team with 40 blocks and fourth with 29 service aces.  In the Tartans UAA semifinal win over Chicago, Newton tied her career-high with 54 assists, as it also marked her fourth match of 50 or more assists this season.

Mueller leads the team in kills with 307 and with 2.62 kills per game. Her 307 kills is sixth best in the UAA. The sophomore is second on the team with 30 service aces and ranks fifth with 30 blocks. Mueller collected the match-winner and tallied a career-best 19 kills in the Tartans UAA semifinal win over Chicago.
    
Higgins leads the UAA with 620 digs and 5.30 digs per game, marking the second straight season the senior has accomplished the top spot in both categories. Her 43 service aces are tops on the team and rank fourth in the UAA. In the same match that Gibbons recorded her 1,000th career kill, Higgins collected her 2,000th dig. She currently ranks third on the school's all-time digs list with 2,209 and needs seven more to move into second all-time. Higgins recorded a career-best 46 digs in the Tartans UAA semifinal win over Chicago.

Carnegie Mellon, ranked 21st nationally, will face DePauw University on Thursday, November 10 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 5:30 p.m. in the First Round of the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship. It marks the Tartans fourth-appearance in the NCAA tournament and third under 11-year head coach Kim Kelly.