Net Play Impressive in Tartans Two Wins Against Ranked Opponents

(HUNTINGDON, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team improved to 7-0 after two wins against ranked opponents at the Juniata College ASICS Invitational on Saturday, September 7. The Tartans opened the day with a 3-1 win against 15th-ranked Ithaca College before defeating third-ranked Juniata, 3-1.

In both matches the Tartans were impressive at the net collecting 11 total blocks against the Bombers and nine against the Eagles. Against Ithaca, the Tartans won 25-14, 22-25, 25-17, 25-13 and forced the Bombers into 28 errors and a hitting percentage of .045. Senior Erika Foose (Allentown, Pa. / Parkland) hit .467 with eight kills and also had five service aces to go with seven block assists and two block solos. Sophomore Vivian Beaudoin (Washington, N.J. / Warren Hills) also had eight kills and helped at the net with four block assists. Senior Maia So-Holloway (Oakland, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) collected 19 assists with freshman Stella Yan (Coppell, Texas / Coppell) picking up 11 assists. Senior Kayla Yew (San Francisco, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) had 20 of the team's 61 digs in the win.

The Tartans were an offensive force against the Eagles with a season-best 52 kills in the four sets. The Tartans won the first two sets 25-21 and 25-18 before the Eagles avoided the sweep with a 25-23 win in set three. The final set was a 25-9 win for the Tartans who put down 12 kills and hit .333 for the set. Carnegie Mellon also forced the Eagles into 29 hitting errors and a .088 hitting percentage.

Junior Diana Balta (Media, Pa. / Penncrest) led the offense with a season-best 12 kills while picking up nine digs and three block assists. Foose hit .421 with nine kills in 19 attempts and had another big game at the net with four block assists on her way to being named tournament MVP. Joining Foose on the all-tournament team was Beaudoin who had eight kills, five block assists, and one block solo in the win, and So-Holloway who had 17 assists, seven digs and three kills with no errors. Yan dished out a season-best 19 assists and had 11 digs.

The Tartans will next play at home in the DoubleTree Invitational on Friday, September 13 at 4:00 p.m. against Susquehanna University.