From Carnegie Mellon University Athletics

The Carnegie Mellon University volleyball team opened the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship with a 3-1 win against Morrisville State University on Friday, November 9 at Ithaca College. The victory marked the second straight season the Tartans have advanced in the tournament.

The Tartans (23-10) won set one, 25-20, before falling 31-29 in set two. Set three and four went to the Tartans by scores of 25-11 and 25-20. Carnegie Mellon recorded 59 kills for the match with a hitting percentage of .280. The third set was key for the Tartans, as they hit .406 with 14 kills and five blocks.

Junior setter Maia So-Holloway (Oakland, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) tallied 46 assists while three attackers recorded double-digit kills. Senior Sarah Jurgens (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan) led with 18 kills, senior Lauren Mueller (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown STEM Academy) added 15, and freshman Carrie Stewart (Victor, N.Y. / Victor) collected 12.

Junior Kayla Yew (San Francisco, Calif. / Sacred Heart Cathedral) picked up 22 digs while So-Holloway had 15 and Mueller 14. Junior Sahara Aqui (Miramar, Fla. / Archbishop McCarthy) had five blocks, as Jurgens had four blocks.

The fourth set was 20-20 before the Tartans scored the final five points of the match. After a service error by Morrisville State, senior Sydney Bauer (Allen, Texas / Allen) put down two service aces. Senior Lizzy Thrasher (Rochester, N.Y. / Gates Chili) recorded the final point with a kill after her presence at the net caused an attack error by the Mustangs.

The Tartans will next face Rochester Institute of Technology (29-4) on Saturday, November 10 in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament at 2:30 p.m.

Post match interview