Langhorne, PA - After winning the first two sets 25-23 and 25-16, the Cairn women's volleyball held control of Thursday's match against the Centenary Cyclones. Cairn let that control slip away as the Cyclones roared back to win the next two sets 25-13 and 25-14. With the match heading to a decisive fifth set, Cairn fell into an early 5-0 hole but with their backs against the wall showed tremendous resiliency to win 14 of the next 19 points. After two straight points by Centenary, Brie Norton sent home the game-winning kill down-the-line to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
 
Cairn picked up the 3-2 (25-23, 25-16, 13-25, 14-25, 15-12) over Centenary for their first CSAC win since Nov. 1, 2014 against Cedar Crest.
 
While Cairn won the first set of the match, it was not a done deal from the beginning. The Highlanders trailed for a majority of the set and were behind by as many as three when the score stood at 17-14. On the next point, Whitney Seidel hammered home a kill to begin a 6-1 run to give the momentum to the host.
 
The Cyclones countered with a 5-2 run of the own, thanks to three errors by the Highlanders, to take a 23-22 lead. Cairn won the final three points with a kill by Haley Sheehan and a pair of attack errors by Centenary to escape the set with a 25-23 victory.
 
With the win in their sails from the comeback victory in set one, Cairn cruised to an early 7-0 lead in the second set. The Cyclones closed the gap to as few as three points at 14-11, but Cairn called a timeout to regroup. The breather worked, as the Highlanders went on an 11-5 run to finish the set in convincing fashion. Cairn won set two 25-16 and was flying high heading into the third set.
 
Unfortunately the celebration would be delayed as Centenary came out to play in the third set. Cairn struggled to find a rhythm and the Cyclones jumped out to a 14-5 victory en route to a 25-13 set win.
 
Just like the third set, Centenary jumped out to an 11-5 lead. However in stark contrast, Cairn battled back and clawed to within one at 12-11 and again at 13-12. After seeing the Highlanders close to within one at 13-12, the Cyclones put the petal to the metal and won the next eight points and 12 of the last 14 to take the fourth set by a 25-14 final.
 
Having just tied the match and forced a decisive fifth set, the Cyclones held all the momentum. Centenary used this momentum to continue their run from the fourth set and win the first five points in the fifth set.
 
A Centenary service error started a 5-0 run for the Highlanders that brought them back into the set. While the run brought the Highlanders into the game, a kill delivered by Olivia Smiley with Cairn trailing 5-3 brought the crowd back into the match.
 
An attack by the Highlanders was dug out by Centenary, but the pass traveled a little too far and right into Smiley's swing. The freshman middle blocker, who was in her first game back after injury, hammered the kill inside the 10-foot line and effectively changed the course of the match with one swing.
 
After Smiley's kill the Highlanders rattled of six of the next eight points to take a 10-7 lead. Just a few points later and after kills from Whitney Seidel, Ashley Chamberlin, and Smiley Brie Norton tucked an attack down the line for the final point of the match. The kill gave Cairn the 15-12 victory in the final set and the 3-2 victory in the match.
 
Liz White collected just the third double-double on the season for Cairn. The freshman earned 21 assists and 14 digs for her second double-double of the year (Haley Sheehan has the only other for Cairn this season).
 
Offensively Cairn was led by Seidel with 10 kills. Sheehan chimed in with eight, despite missing part of the fourth set due to injury.
 
As mentioned, the CSAC victory is the first for Cairn since Nov. 1, 2014. The win improves the Highlanders to 3-11 overall and 1-6 on the season.
 
Along with the 3-0 victory over Trinity Washington University on Homecoming the Highlanders have put together their first win streak since Oct. 14-21, 2014.
 
Cairn will next take the floor on Tuesday, Oct. 11 against Cabrini University at 7:00 p.m. at home.