Volleyball Ends Home DoubleTree Tournament 2-2

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's volleyball team ended the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Tournament with a 2-2 mark following play on Saturday, September 21.  The Tartans are now 11-3 overall.

After claiming a 3-1 victory over Geneva Friday afternoon, the Tartans dropped a hard fought 3-1 match to 15th-ranked Otterbein University. Carnegie Mellon lost by the scores of 18-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22.  Junior Ali Celentano (Mission Viejo, Calif./JSerra Catholic) led the home squad with 12 kills as she also recorded four block assists and two service aces. Freshman Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) totaled nine kills and two block assists in the setback while sophomore setter Emily Lawlis (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands College Park)  tallied 31 assists. Senior Ali Nichols (Portland, Ore./Jesuit) had 23 of her 68 total digs for the tournament.

On Saturday morning, the Tartans opened play against John Carroll University. The Blue Streaks claimed a 3-2 (25-11, 22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) victory.  Senior Senna Parsa (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) led the way with 15 kills while Celentano and Gibbons added 12 and nine, respectively.  Parsa, Celentano and Gibbons each tallied three block assists, as Gibbons also added two solo blocks. Freshman Casey Salandra (Carol Steam, Ill./St. Francis) contributed at the net as well with four block assists.  Lawlis tied her career-high with 25 digs while adding 34 assists.  Nichols recorded a 24 digs.

The Tartans ended the tournament with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-20) over Farmingdale State. Freshman setter Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) tallied a career-best 28 assists and four service aces.  Salandra recorded a match-high as well as a career-high 10 kills in the win.

Carnegie Mellon will be back on the court Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. when they entertain Frostburg St. at Skibo Gymnasium.