LANGHORNE, Pa. – The Cairn University women's volleyball team collected its first Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) victory of the season with a commanding 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-14) sweep of Clarks Summit University on Wednesday evening.
Cairn (3-11, 1-1 CSAC) got off to a rocky start, as Clarks Summit (1-13, 0-2 CSAC) got out to a 16-11 lead in the first set. However, the Highlanders came back, rattling off six-straight points, including three kills from freshman
Peyton Queen (Orlando, FL / Lake Mary HS) to take a 17-16 lead. The Lady Defenders kept it close, only trailing by two (22-20) in the later portion of the set, but three-straight points by the Highlanders gave them the set and a 1-0 lead in the match. In set two, Cairn jumped out to a 10-6 lead before going on a scorching run, stringing together 12-straight points, its longest run of the season, to take a 22-6 lead. The Lady Defenders made it interesting with a seven-point run of their own, but Cairn closed out the set to take a 2-0 match lead. Both teams battled back-and forth in the early portions of the third frame, as Cairn led 14-12 at the midway point. However, the Highlanders showed poise as they went on another run, this time to the tune of seven-straight points to take a 21-12 lead. The Lady Defenders stayed in it with a pair of points in the later stage, but Cairn claimed the final three points, capped off by a service ace by freshman
Katie Strickland (Suffolk, VA / Portsmouth Christian) to claim their first conference win of the 2021 campaign.
Cairn was led by Queen, who dominated with 19 kills and a .571 hitting percentage (both career-highs). Queen's 19 kills tied the program record for kills in a three-set match (official statistics date back to 2005). Queen also added 10 digs (tying a team-high) and eight assists.
Queen was followed by classmate
Caroline Conrad (Bangkok, Thailand / International Community School) who posted 10 kills and a .250 hitting percentage, while tying a game-high with three service aces with senior
Allison Barnes (Macungie, PA / Salem Christian) and Queen. Junior Kali Buress (Wanaque, NJ / Hawthorne Christian) tied a team-high with 10 digs, while sophomore
Olivia Zepp (Westminster, MD / Francis Scott Key) dished out a game-high 20 assists. As a team, Cairn posted its best hitting percentage of the season at .245 on 41 kills.
Cairn will be back on the court on tomorrow when it takes on Centenary University (NJ) for its annual Dig Pink game at 7 p.m.
