LANGHORNE, PA - The Cairn Women's Volleyball team welcomed the Pacers of Marywood to town on Thursday night as the Highlanders looked to pick up one final non-conference win before beginning conference play next week. They kept the Pacers at bay, sweeping Marywood 3-0.
 
The first set brought Cairn (8-6) an early 5-0 lead as junior outside hitter Caroline Conrad (Bangkok, Thailand / International Community School) and sophomore libero Payton Cline (Falling Waters, WV / Heritage Academy) each recorded a kill. Marywood (5-13) would make things closer, coming back to within one (7-6) as the Highlanders looked to start building a lead, which they did (13-7) until the Pacer rally saw Marywood tie the set at 15-15. Junior opposite hitter Hendryl Peabody (Bensalem, PA / Faith Baptist Christian Academy) would tally a kill on each of Cairn's next five points as the Highlanders took set one, 25-18.

As senior setter Olivia Zepp (Westminster, MD / Francis Scott Key) started set 2 off with an ace, the frame would carry a noticeably different tone. After trading early points, Cairn would go on a 14-2 run featuring four kills from freshman outside hitter Bridget Dahn (Smithsburg, MD / Heritage Academy) and three from freshman middle blocker Georgianna Thorpe (Southampton, PA / William Tennent) to propel the Highlanders to an 18-5 lead. Conrad would then take over, smashing three kills onto the Marywood side, mixed with one from Peabody, and the set-point forcing kill from freshman middle blocker Rachael Banks (Sturgis, SD / Sturgis Brown HS). The Cairn attack would prove to be no match as they took set two, 25-8.

Set 3 was a toss-up from the jump. The Pacers went ahead 3-0 followed by three quick lead shifts as the score evened at 9-9. Dahn would collect two kills as things got to the middle of the third set with the Highlanders ahead 16-12. Marywood looked for the equalizing attack as they pulled ahead 19-18. Peabody then put Cairn ahead 20-19 as this match was coming down to the wire in a suspense-filled Mason Activity Center. The Pacers would tack on three straight points to go ahead 24-21. An ace by sophomore defensive specialist Delaney Hollenbeck (Kingsley, PA / Lackawanna College) and critical errors by the Pacer offense would put Cairn in the driver seat up 25-24. As things got tied up again at 25-25, Thorpe would send over a kill forcing match point followed by Conrad who ended the Pacers' hope at a comeback as the match closed in set three, 27-25.

Peabody led the offense for the second match in a row, notching a match-high 11 kills and an assisted block. Conrad and Dahn contributed eight kills apiece, with 10 and 18 digs, respectively. Thorpe was the primary net defender for the evening, collecting 2 solo blocks and an assisted block along with tying her career high 7 kills.

Cairn opens up United East Skye Division play on Saturday as the team travels to Baltimore, MD to take on the Gators of Notre Dame (MD) at 4 p.m.