Back-to-back: Women’s Volleyball sweeps USCAA Tip-Off tournament for second year in a row, Alexander reaches 1,000 career assist milestone

MONACA, Pa. --- Carlow University women's volleyball swept the USCAA Tip-Off Tournament, hosted by Penn State Beaver, for the second year in a row Saturday.

Senior setter Meghan Alexander recorded her 1,000^th career assist during the third set of the five-set championship win over the University of Cincinnati Clermont.

The Celtics (4-0) started off strong with two wins over Penn State Greater Allegheny and Johnson & Wales Charlotte Friday afternoon.

vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny: W, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-21)

Carlow hit .455 in the first set and swept the Nittany Lions in the first match at 2 p.m. Friday.

Rebecca Hess led the Celtics with 10 kills, while Kelsey Sufak contributed eight service aces to the tally.

Claire Yezovich recorded 15 digs and four aces, and Meghan Alexander tallied 16 assists.

Taylor Martin led the Nittany Lions with seven kills, while Hannah Kessler contributed 14 digs.

vs. Johnson & Wales Charlotte: W, 3-1 (25-16, 25-9, 24-26, 25-15)

Hess and Alison Humberston combined for 25 kills to help lift the Celtics to a four-set victory over Johnson & Wales Charlotte in the 6 p.m. game Friday evening.

Yezovich recorded 17 digs, while Angel Klein contributed 10. Hess also added five service aces on the day.

The Celtics hit .467 in the second set, but fell in the third set in a win-by-two situation before rallying to win the fourth set and the match.

Aimee Evans and Kaylee Atkins tallied 11 kills apiece for the Wildcats. Atkins also added 11 digs in the effort.

vs. Johnson & Wales Charlotte: W, 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-16)

The Celtics met up with the Wildcats again Saturday afternoon. Carlow swept JWU in three sets this time, but the Wildcats kept it close.

Javonna Perkins came up with a huge kill to end the first set, 26-24, and Sarah Porter put a pin in the game with an ace to end the third set and the match in favor of the Celtics.

Hess and Humberston once again combined for 29 kills, and Yezovich and Klein added a combined 22 digs. Hess added five service aces, and Taylor Claypoole contributed two solo blocks.

Evans and Atkins led the Wildcats with 21 kills. Atkins added 14 digs, and Evans came up with five solo blocks on the day.

vs. University of Cincinnati Clermont: W, 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-19, 14-25, 15-11)

The Cougars (3-3) took Carlow to five sets in the tournament championship game, but the Celtics rallied and came out on top.

Carlow took the first set, 25-20, but UC Clermont came from behind the win the second set, 26-24.

Alexander recorded her 1,000^th career assist on the second point of the third set, as the Celtics hit .433 to take the set and lead, 2-1.

The Cougars jumped out to an 8-1 advantage and kept Carlow at arm's length to win the fourth set, 25-14.

UC Clermont led, 4-1, to start the fifth set, but the Celtics pushed to tie the game halfway at 8-all.

Ahead 11-10, head coach Julie Gaul called a timeout. Perkins and Humberston added three kills in a row to put the Celtics up, 14-10, before the Cougars scored again.

With the game on the line, Alexander set up Humberston for a big kill to end the game and give Carlow the win.

Humberston tallied 22 kills in the match, while Hess added 19. Alexander had 30 assists, and Yezovich tallied 17 digs.

Three different Celtics hit three service aces in the match.

Carlow travels to Franciscan University for a 7 p.m. game Sept. 6.