#13 Tartans Open DoubleTree Invitational with a Pair of Wins; Tartans Off to Best Start in Program History

#13 Tartans Open DoubleTree Invitational with a Pair of Wins; Tartans Off to Best Start in Program History

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team, ranked 13th nationally, opened the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational on Friday, September 22, with a pair of wins. The Tartans started the night with a 3-1 win against Messiah College before topping Salisbury University, 3-0. Carnegie Mellon improved to 14-0 and are off to their best start in program history. The 2004 team started the season with 12 straight victories.

Against Messiah, who the Tartans topped 25-18, 25-15, 23-25 and 25-11, senior Eliza Donohue (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and junior Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn.) each tallied double digit kills with 12 and 11, respectively, to lead the Cardinal and Gray. Sophomore Maia So-Holloway (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral) and junior Amanda Thiele (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins) combined for 53 of the Tartans' 59 assists with So-Holloway leading the way with 32.

Defensively, sophomore Kayla Yew (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral) led the team with 22 digs and junior Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown STEM Academy) added 12 in the win. At the net, Donohue tabbed eight total blocks while senior Heather Holton (Haslett, Mich.) recorded four.

In the nightcap, Carnegie Mellon won by the scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-8, over the Sea Gulls. Donohue, Jurgens and Holton all had seven kills in the win. Thiele had 16 assists with So-Holloway adding 15. Yew led with 15 digs and junior Sydney Bauer (Allen, Texas) tabbed 10.

The Tartans return to action on Saturday, September 23 against Otterbein University and the University of Mount Union. Play begins at 11:00 a.m.