Tartans End Season at NCAA Regional Quarterfinal

Tartans End Season at NCAA Regional Quarterfinal

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.) – The 21st-ranked Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team opened the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship at Calvin College against the Tigers of DePauw University Thursday, November 10.  The Tartans fell 3-1 to the Tigers, as it marked Carnegie Mellon's third appearance at the NCAA Championship tournament under 11-year head coach Kim Kelly and the fourth in program history.

The Tartans fell by the scores of 25-20 in the first two sets before taking set three 25-21. The Tigers then took the fourth and deciding set 25-20 and move on to play the winner of Calvin and Pitt-Bradford.

Senior Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) led the Tartan offense with 14 kills while junior Heather Holton (Haslett, Mich./Haslett) added nine. Senior setter Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) and sophomore Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown SIEM Academy) each contributed with seven. Newton handed out 33 assists in the setback.

Defensively, senior Molly Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach) ended with 31 digs with four others tallying double digits digs. Mueller recorded 18, Newton 16, freshman Kayla Yew (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral) 15 and junior Hannah Wooten (Hughson, Calif.) finished with 10.

"This senior class helped turn the program around," said Kelly. "They have built a legacy that will last a long time."

The Tartans conclude the season with an overall mark of 25-8, as DePauw moved to 25-5.