ALLENTOWN, PA – Women's Volleyball tied their single season record for most conference wins, sweeping Cedar Crest on the road Tuesday night as conference play winds down.
 
Cedar Crest (5-22 / 4-6 UNITED EAST) had the momentum from the start, opening the match on a 7-1 as the Highlanders were plagued with early attack errors. Junior middle Georgianna Thorpe (Southampton, PA / William Tennent) began to right the ship with Cairn's (16-5 / 7-2 UNITED EAST) first two kills on the night. Sophomore middle Maddie Shackelford (Warrington, PA / Plumstead Christian) got involved with a block before freshman opposite Bella Manthe (Manila, Philippines / Faith Academy) tied the score at nine-all with a kill. As the Falcons took the next two, Manthe sent over another kill as Shackelford notched an ace to tie things back up. Cedar Crest responded with seven-straight points to go ahead 18-11 until Thorpe had the answer, scoring three kills. Shackelford kept the game tied with two late kills ahead of recording another block, assisted by Manthe, to tie the set 25-25. Manthe would win the set on a kill after Cedar Crest committed an error, 27-25.
 
Set two once again had the Falcons in control early, rallying to a 14-6 lead. Thorpe fired off two kills to get the comeback started, followed by a kill and ace by junior outside hitter Madison Searls (Seaford, DE / Salisbury Christian) along with the Falcons making errors on their side of the net. With the Highlanders finding themselves now down by only four, freshman outside hitter Marah Lehman (Chambersburg, PA / Chambersburg) got to work with Cairn's next four kills, cutting the lead to two. Manthe put up a kill and solo block to tie the frame at 20-20 ahead of Lehman delivering the 21-20 lead. Shackelford would give the Highlanders a 24-21 advantage with Searls winning the set on a kill, 25-21.
 
Facing the prospect of another sweep, Cairn kept their foot on the pedal in the third set, maintaining a narrow lead as Shackelford sent back another block with two more kills for Manthe. Shackelford extended the lead to 22-15 with her third ace of the night while two kills from Lehman would secure the Highlanders' seventh conference win.
 
Lehman led the kill column with a modest nine kills along with 18 digs while Thorpe and Manthe both had eight. Shackelford had four kills, three aces, and four total blocks for a team-high 10 points.
 
Cairn will host Immaculata on Thursday for senior night in the Highlanders' final home match of the regular season at  7 p.m.