PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College women's volleyball team (4-12) concluded a 3-0 loss (14-25, 22-25, 20-25) to the No. 6 ranked Carnegie Mellon Tartans (16-1) in Pittsburgh this afternoon.
Cali Dagen (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) led the team in kills with nine on the day, adding four digs and two assists. Middle blocker
Abby Oldham (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) added eight kills and three total blocks.
Brielle Moorhouse (East Liberty, Ohio/Benjamin Logan) led the team in assists with 15 followed by
Isabella Bottiglieri (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) with eight. Moorhouse also headed the team in service aces with two. Oldham and
Lola Jacobs (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) led the team in total blocks with three.
Sydney Allen (Washington, Pa./Trinity) led the team in digs with 25.
The ranked Tartans got out in front early in the opening set, holding a 6-0 lead before the Presidents got on the board. The CMU lead grew to 13-5 before Dagen, Oldham and
Stella Stossel (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) added kills to disrupt to run. Additional kills by Dagen and Oldham down the stretch did not spark a run from the Presidents resulting in the 25-14 set one loss.
W&J flipped the switch on Carnegie Mellon in the second set, growing an early 8-5 advantage. Oldham's three kills and an attack error from the Tartans powered the run. Following a lead change in favor of CMU, the Presidents regained the edge off of three Tartan errors and a kill by
Rian Benz (Strongsville, Ohio/Holy Name), 14-12. Kills by Jacobs, Dagen and a service ace from Benz grew the advantage to 18-15. After holding a 20-17 edge over Carnegie Mellon, the Tartans managed to outscore the Presidents 8-2 to come back and win the second set, 25-22.
The Presidents battled to another early lead in the third set to get back on track, 7-4. The Tartans answered with a brief lead of their own prior to W&J trading the lead off a four-point run, 13-11. Carnegie Mellon remained on course and grew a 22-17 lead. Kills by Stossel and Jacobs helped keep the set in reach for W&J before faltering, 25-20.
W&J women's volleyball returns to Presidents' Athletic Conference play on Wednesday (Oct. 7) for a match against the Saint Vincent Bearcats. Opening serve is set for a 7:00 p.m. start.
