#14 Tartans Close F&M Scramble with a Pair of 3-2 Victories

(LANCASTER, Pa.) - The 14th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University women's volleyball team closed the Franklin & Marshall College Scramble with a pair of 3-2 victories over Ohio Northern and the host Diplomats. The two wins on Saturday improves the Tartans record to 11-2 overall.

The Tartans started the day with a 3-2 victory against Ohio Northern University which included a come-from-behind win in set five (16-25, 28-26, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13). Senior Emily Newton (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Chadwick School) collected 51 assists and 11 digs for the match. Leading the attack was junior Heather Holton (Haslett, Mich./Haslett) with 13 kills and sophomore Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) with 12. Senior Jackie Gibbons (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) put down 11 kills, including four in the fifth set. Sophomore Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown STEM Academy) also picked up double-digit kill numbers with 10.

Senior Molly Higgins (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach) had 32 digs while Mueller had 22 digs from the back line while Gibbons was tall at the net with five block solos and five block assists. Joining Gibbons at the net was junior Eliza Donohue (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) with two block solos and three block assists. Jurgens and Newton also had three block assists for the match.

In the nightcap, the Tartans put together another come-from-behind 3-2 victory defeating the Diplomats 23-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-12. Holton led with a season-best 18 kills with Gibbons and Mueller also tallying career-bests with 14 and 13, respectively. Newton handed out another 51 assists while collecting 17 digs. Mueller added a career-best four service aces.

Higgins led with 22 digs, Mueller had 15 and junior Hannah Wooten (Hughson, Calif./Hughson) collected 14.

The Tartans will host the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational on Friday and Saturday, September 23-24. Carnegie Mellon opens play at 4:00 p.m. Friday against Bethany.