LA PLUME, PA – The Cairn Women's Volleyball team hit the road Thursday night as they took on the Giants of Keystone College in La Plume, dropping a heartbreaking 5-set match, 3-2.
 
Keystone (10-9 / 4-2 United East Skye Division) got the action underway, going up 7-3 in the first set. Cairn (11-8 / 3-2 United East Skye Division) fought back, forcing Keystone to make key errors and bring the set back to 8-8, including a block from freshman middle blocker Rachael Banks (Sturgis, SD / Sturgis Brown High School). Junior outside hitter Caroline Conrad (Bangkok, Thailand / International Community School) and junior opposite Hendryl Peabody (Bensalem, PA / Faith Baptist Christian Academy) each had a kill as the Highlanders took a 12-11 lead. Freshman outside hitter Bridget Dahn (Smithsburg, MD / Heritage Academy) added three kills as Cairn grew the lead to 16-12. The Giants would rally late, taking a 23-18 lead and never gave in as Keystone took set one, 25-22.
 
Set two saw the Highlander offense get rolling as Peabody and Conrad each had two kills early as Cairn took a 13-10 lead. The Giants would look to spark a rally but were instead shut down by three kills from Peabody, all assisted by senior setter Olivia Zepp (Westminster, MD / Francis Scott Key), and a kill added from freshman middle blocker Georgianna Thorpe (Southampton, PA / William Tennent) as the Highlander offense roared to a 23-17 lead. Conrad would send home the final two kills as Cairn won set two, 25-20, to even the score.
 
The Highlanders found themselves in a hole early, down 13-8 before Dahn would collect another kill and an ace, bringing the deficit to within one. Fighting back and forth, Cairn finally took a 21-20 lead as Dahn smashed home the last two kills, taking set three in favor of the Highlanders, 25-22.
 
Set four had Keystone in control early, building a 13-9 lead in comeback fashion. The Giants would never surrender the lead as they took set 4, 25-28, forcing a fifth set with the Highlanders. Dahn notched two kills early in the final set, putting a halt to any chance at a Keystone rally. Cairn would instead rally around a kill from Banks, tying the set 8-8. The Giants would have the final say, rallying back and winning the final set 15-10 to take the match 3-2.
 
This was the first 5-set match for the Highlanders thus far in the 2023 season as Dahn was the top performer on the Cairn side. She set career marks in kills (13) and points (15) along with 2 aces and 16 digs. Conrad added 11 kills of her own as well as continuing to be a strong force on defense with a season-high 23 digs. Peabody had 10 kills and a solo block while Thorpe and Banks provided 4 and 3 kills, respectively, and a solo block each. Zepp provided 34 assists for the offense.
 
The Highlanders face off against Rosemont College who comes to Langhorne on Saturday for an 11 a.m. match inside the Mason Activity Center.