Cairn (10-2 / 1-0 UNITED EAST) got the day's action underway with two early kills by freshman opposite Bella Manthe (Manila, Philippines / Faith Academy), expanding their lead to 11-6 on a pair of attacks over the middle by sophomore middle Maddie Shackelford (Warrington, PA / Plumstead Christian). Junior setter Anna Dow (Syracuse, NY / Faith Heritage) took over the serve up 12-9, after another kill from Shackelford, acing three in-a-row to help put the Highlanders up 17-9. Junior outside hitter Bridget Dahn (Smithsburg, MD / Heritage Academy) and Shackelford sent back a big block ahead of two kills from Dahn to win the set 25-14.

The Highlanders controlled the pace throughout the second set, starting on a 9-1 run with a solo block and kill from Shackelford and two aces by sophomore libero Liliana Magazzu (Reading, PA / Exeter). Penn College (3-14 / 0-1 UNITED EAST) was held to single digits as Manthe scored two aces and junior middle Georgianna Thorpe (Southampton, PA / William Tennent) with three kills over the middle for a commanding 20-5 lead. With the Wildcats scattering a few more points, Thorpe threw down the final kill to win 25-12.

The dominance continued in the third set, Shackelford starting with an ace and a kill with two more kills by Thorpe to open ahead 10-4. Dow and Shackelford teamed up for a block to get about halfway to the finish line before Dow took to the service line to finish the day on ten unanswered points and four more aces on the day. 

The victory was made even sweeter as it came during Cairn's Homecoming Weekend, with a packed crowd fueling the energy in the gym. The Highlanders gave their fans plenty to cheer about, delivering one of their most efficient performances of the season.
 

Cairn's offense was sharp, finishing with a .378 hitting percentage as a team. Thorpe was nearly unstoppable, tallying 10 kills on just 11 attempts. Freshman outside hitter Marah Lehman (Chambersburg, PA / Chambersburg) and Manthe each added seven kills, while Manthe chipped in three aces and three assists. Dow directed the offense with 22 assists and served up a career-high seven aces to go with six digs. Shackelford was another key contributor, registering six kills, four total blocks (two solo), and two aces.
 

Defensively, Cairn posted 40 digs, led by Dahn's team-high 11. The Highlanders also limited Penn College to just 13 kills and a -.014 hitting percentage, forcing 14 errors on 70 swings.
 

With the win, Cairn capped off a memorable Homecoming Weekend with another statement victory, for their seventh-straight win, tying the most consecutive wins since 2022. The Highlanders will be on the road to start the week, at Keystone on Tuesday and Lancaster Bible on Thursday.