BALTIMORE, Md. – The No. 3 seed Cairn University women's volleyball team saw its historic 2022 season come to a close following a thrilling five-set affair (25-22, 19-25, 20-25, 25-11, 10-15) on the road at No. 2 seed Notre Dame of Maryland University in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) semifinals on Thursday evening.
 
"It's heartbreaking to have our season come to an end, but that's just a testament to how incredible this season and this team has been." remarked Head Coach Whitney Seidel. "I've never been a part of a team that has supported, loved, pushed, and fought for each other as consistently and as selflessly as these 10 women have done all season long. We truly left all of our heart and all of our hustle on the court tonight against a very talented and evenly-matched opponent, and as a coach I could not be more proud. We may have lost on the scoreboard tonight, but this season was ultimately an incredible success."
 
Cairn (18-6) repeated the start of their earlier season matchup with Notre Dame (17-6) (winners of 15 of its last 16 matches) by claiming the first set of the contest (25-22) to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Gators responded accordingly, posting a 25-19 win and set two, and followed that up with a 25-20 besting of the Highlanders in set three to take a 2-1 match lead. With their backs against the wall, the Highlanders deterred from the pattern from their regular season bout with the Gators, steamrolling out of the gates in set four to a 17-1 advantage, which helped them send the match to a fifth-and final set with a spot in the conference championship match on the line. Cairn continued the momentum gained from set four, and took a 5-1 lead out of the gates in set five. The Gators answered emphatically, posting 10 of the next 11 points to take an 11-6 lead. Notre Dame maintained a slim 13-10 advantage near the end of the frame, and two-straight kills by the Gators sealed the victory and a spot in the conference championship match for the third-straight season.
 
Cairn was led offensively by sophomore Caroline Conrad (Bangkok, Thailand / International Community School), tying a career-high with 15 kills to go along with 13 digs. Fifth-year Allison Barnes (Macungie, PA / Salem Christian) followed with seven kills, while senior Kali Burres-Cheeley (Wanaque, NJ / Hawthorne Christian) and sophomore Hendryl Peabody (Bensalem, PA / Faith Baptist Christian Academy) added six kills a-piece. Barnes also posted a career-high nine blocks in her final collegiate match, the second-most blocks in a match in program history and tying the most in a five-set match. Junior Olivia Zepp (Westminster, MD / Francis Scott Key) dished out a match-high 31 assists to pair with 14 digs. Burres-Cheeley paced the defensive effort with a team-high 23 digs, while freshman Payton Cline (Falling Waters, WV / Heritage Academy) added 20 digs and senior Lizzy Fay (Langhorne, PA / Neshaminy) scooped up 15 digs.
 
The Highlanders concluded their 2022 campaign with one of the most successful seasons in program history. Cairn accumulated 18 total victories (most since 2013), posted a 7-2 record in conference play, recorded the longest win-streak to start a season in program history (seven matches) and made its second-straight conference semifinal appearance.