LANGHORNE, PA — The Penn State Berks women's volleyball team (7-11, 2-3) took on Cairn University (11-6, 3-2) in United East action on Saturday, October 10. Berks fell to the Highlanders 3-0 on the day.
The Nittany Lions answered the Highlanders' opening point with kills from
Shea Leber,
Emily Snader and
Madelyn Caris, and Snader teamed with
Delaney Gote on a block as the visitors moved in front 4-1. The Highlanders worked back, but Berks kept the set level through the middle stages, tying it at 5-5, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10 behind side-out points and Highlanders service errors. The Highlanders then won nine straight points to move ahead 19-10 before Snader ended the stretch with a kill from
Libby Swoyer. Snader added another late kill, and Gote scored from
Ella Griffiths before the Highlanders finished the set, 25-13.
Berks could not overcome the Highlanders' early edge and mid-set separation in a 25-15 second-set loss.
Madelyn Caris put down a kill from
Gabryella Maney after the Highlanders moved ahead 6-2, and Gote added a service ace to bring the Nittany Lions within 7-5.
Shea Leber's kill from
Ella Griffiths cut the margin to 11-8, but the Highlanders followed with four straight points before Gote answered with a kill from Maney.
Emily Snader added a kill and
Ella Griffiths served an ace later in the set, while Gote and Caris posted back-to-back kills to make it 20-13, but the Highlanders closed out the set at 25-15.
The Blue & White pushed the third set to 24-24 after trailing 24-22, using an
Emily Snader kill from
Libby Swoyer and a Highlanders setting error to stay in the set. Earlier, Berks built an 8-4 lead behind two
Emily Snader kills, consecutive Gote kills and a Leber kill set up by
Tori Schaeffer. After the Highlanders closed within 8-7,
Gwen Tew and Leber combined on a block,
Gabryella Maney followed with a service ace, and Leber and
Emily Snader teamed on another block to push the advantage to 11-7. The Highlanders tied the set at 12-12 and later moved ahead 16-15, but the Nittany Lions answered with a Highlanders attack error and a
Madelyn Caris kill from Schaeffer to go back in front 17-16. A Leber kill from
Gabryella Maney and an
Emily Snader-Schaeffer block put Berks up 22-20, but the Highlanders scored the next four points, and after the Blue & White forced the 24-24 tie, the Highlanders closed out the set 26-24.
Emily Snader led Berks with eight kills and 9.5 points while adding three block assists. Gote recorded six kills, eight digs, one ace and one block assist.
Ella Griffiths collected a team-high 10 digs and added two service aces.
Libby Swoyer finished with a team-high nine assists and four digs.
WHO'S NEXT
Up next, Berks continues United East action as they host Penn State Abington on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center in Reading, Pennsylvania.
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