Salandra Ties a Career-High as No. 20 Tartans Top Franciscan

(STEUBENVILLE, Ohio) – The Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team, ranked 20th nationally, traveled to Steubenville, Ohio for a midweek contest against Franciscan University Wednesday, September 23.  The Tartans improved to 15-1 with a 3-1 victory over the Barons winning by the scores of 30-28, 25-12, 22-25, 25-19.

Junior Casey Salandra (Carol Steam, Ill./St. Francis) tied a career-high with 13 kills to lead the Tartans, as freshman Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown SIEM Academy) also recorded double-digit kills with 10. Junior Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) totaled seven kills and classmate Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), who is ranked second in Division III in hitting percentage, finished the evening with six kills.  Newton added 36 assists in the win

Junior Molly Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla.) posted a season-best 31 digs while freshman Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn.) collected 10.  

The Tartans will host the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational on Friday and Saturday, September 25-26.  The Tartans first match of the invitational will be at 6:00 p.m. Friday against Stevenson University on the hardwood of Skibo Gymnasium.