#13 Tartans Extend Win Streak to Twelve, Win at Franciscan 3-0

#13 Tartans Extend Win Streak to Twelve, Win at Franciscan 3-0

(STEUBENVILLE, Ohio) - The 13th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's volleyball team traveled to Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, for a non-conference match on Tuesday, September 19. The Tartans extended their win streak to 12 with a 3-0 victory after set scores of 25-19, 25-17, and 25-22.

Junior Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown STEM Academy) hit .500 in the first set while putting down four kills. Sophomore Sahara Aqui (Miramar, Fla. / Archbishop McCarthy) had three kills in the set and hit .600, as the Tartans tallied 12 kills in the first set. The team also had five of its 13 service aces in the first set.

The Tartans got off to a slow start in the second set as the Barons led 9-8. However, five straight kills by the Cardinal and Gray put them ahead 15-10 which they pushed to 17-10 after a service ace and a ball handling error by Franciscan. A service ace by freshman Diana Balta (Media, Pa. / Penncrest) gave the Tartans their largest lead of the set at 20-12, as they went on to win the set 25-17 after hitting .455.

The third set saw the Tartans take a 12-1 lead after they put down six kills. The Barons climbed back in the match and pulled within 23-21 before the Tartans finished the match with a kill by junior Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan).

Senior Lizzy Thrasher (Rochester, N.Y. / Gates Chili) led the Tartans with eight kills while Jurgens finished with seven. Senior Shalani Stockton (McAllen, Texas / McAllen Memorial) and sophomore Erika Foose (Allentown, Pa. / Parkland) each tallied five kills, as sophomore Maia So-Holloway (Oakland, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) collected 24 assists. Sophomore Kayla Yew (San Francisco, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) led the defense with 12 digs.

The Tartans will host the DoubleTree Invitational on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23 with their first match coming against Messiah College at 6:00 p.m. Friday.