ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The No. 4 seed Cairn University women's volleyball team saw its storybook 2021 season come to a close in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) semifinals on Thursday evening, losing 3-0 (25-8, 25-11, 25-13) on the road at No. 1 seed Cedar Crest College.
 
The No. 1 seed Falcons (19-5) proved their status as the conference favorites early, taking a 25-8 first set victory to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Cedar Crest jumped out to a 7-0 lead in set two. However, Cairn (12-14) rattled off seven of the next 12 points and only trailed 12-7 at the midway point. The Falcons ended up pulling away and won the set, 25-11. Both teams traded leads and battled to a 19-13 Highlander deficit in the third set, but six-consecutive points by the Falcons closed out the match and the season for Cairn.
 
Cairn was led offensively by freshman Caroline Conrad (Bangkok, Thailand / International Community School) who posted a team-high six kills. Senior Allison Barnes (Macungie, PA / Salem Christian) followed with four kills, while freshman Peyton Queen (Orlando, FL / Lake Mary) tallied three and scooped up a team-high with 10 digs. Sophomore Olivia Zepp (Westminster, MD / Francis Scott Key) dished out a team-high 14 assists.
 
Cairn finished the season with a 12-14 overall record, the most wins since 2014. The Highlanders' playoff victory in the CSAC Quarterfinals was their first conference playoff victory since 2012 and their first CSAC semifinals appearance since 2013. Cairn's four players (Barnes, Zepp, Queen, Conrad) placed on the All-CSAC teams are the most for the program since 2009.