IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata University finished with the fifth seed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Volleyball Tournament, and will travel to fourth-seeded Cairn University on Tuesday night, November 4, at 7 p.m. for a quarterfinal match.
 
The Mighty Macs (17-8) and Highlanders (12-17) finished with identical 7-4 marks in CSAC play, and Cairn edged out the higher seed with its 3-0 victory against Immaculata during conference play on Oct. 21. Immaculata started its impressive 2014 campaign under first-year head coach Jill Holdren with a 3-1 win opposite Cairn in non-conference play.
 
It marks the first time since the 2008 season that Immaculata volleyball has reached the postseason. During 2008, the Mighty Macs grabbed the tournament's fourth seed but were defeated in quarterfinal play by fifth-seeded Baptist Bible College.
 
Immaculata is led this season by a senior and pair of juniors, who have successfully mentored a youthful roster. Three of Immaculata's starters are freshmen, and the Mighty Macs feature a starting sophomore setter and second-year libero.
 
Junior Jamie Rombach leads the team with 252 kills (2.88 kills/set), while adding 127 digs and 25 total blocks. Rombach is eighth in the CSAC in kills per set. Classmate Stephanie Johler is second on the team in both kills (157) and service (36) but tops the Mighty Macs with 66 total blocks. Johler also had a team-best .214 hitting percentage, which ranks 10th in the conference, and she is third in the CSAC in blocks per set (0.77).
 
Rombach and Johler lead a front row that features three other impactful players in Gabrielle Guerrera, Arden Vizzard and Tess Kieffer. Guerrera is third with 120 kills and second with 62 total total blocks. Guerrera also ranks fifth in the league in blocks per set (0.70). Vizzard, who missed several matches this season, lists fourth with 118 kills and 157 digs, while Kieffer has 100 kills and 34 blocks.
 
Sophomore Maranda Jones and senior Brittany Thompson has split time at setter this season. Jones leads the team with 435 assists, and has added 25 services aces and 176 digs. Thompson has 288 assists, a team-leading 37 service aces and 133 digs.
 
Libero Molly Truitt paces all Mighty Macs with 377 digs, and she lists fourth in the CSAC with 4.24 digs per set. Another player instrumental in the back row for the Mighty Macs is freshman Emily Swank. Swank has played in 82 sets with 258 digs, and has added 48 kills and 21 service aces.
 
The other quarterfinal matchup features No. 3 Marywood hosting No. 6 Notre Dame. Cabrini earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and Neumann is the second seed, and both squads earned byes into the semifinals. No. 1 Cabrini will host the lowest remaining seed on Thursday, Nov. 6, and No. 2 Neumann will host the other quarterfinal winner. The championship match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the highest seed.