SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University volleyball team had been looking forward to their Capital Athletic Conference first place showdown with St. Mary's (Md.) College for weeks. On Tuesday night, the Sea Gulls lived up to their billing with a 3-1 victory over the Seahawks before an energized crowd of 543 at the Maggs Center. The win places the Gulls in sole possession of first place in the CAC.

Salisbury (23-8, 6-0 CAC) found itself in a battle in the first set with the score tied 6-6. The Gulls scored four straight points to take over the lead. SU kept its narrow advantage when it led 15-12 before the maroon and gold ripped off another four-point run to go up 19-12 over the Seahawks. SMC (22-4, 5-1 CAC) battled back but SU held onto win 30-26.

SU followed with a thunderous 30-17 victory in the second set before it dropped the third set 26-30. The Sea Gulls pushed ahead in the fourth set to win going away 30-16. In the 11 chances SU has gotten to a fourth set they have won five times.

Juniors Stacey Krebs and Jaime Marzocchi led the way for the Sea Gulls. Marzocchi finished the match with 42 assists and four digs, while Krebs smashed home 11 kills and made eight digs. Sophomores Rachel Downes, Gabby Long and Nicole Massarelli supplied the Sea Gull faithful with plenty to cheer about. Downes had 12 kills and 13 digs, Massarelli recorded 17 kills and three service aces while Long made a team-high 31 digs and four service aces.

The Sea Gulls will turn around and host Gallaudet University on Thursday, October 18, at 7 p.m. in the Maggs Center. This will be the second trip to Salisbury for Gallaudet this season. SU defeated the Bison 3-0 in their non-conference September 29th meeting in the Salisbury Invitational. Gallaudet is now in second place in the CAC with a 5-1 conference record, its lone loss came against St. Mary's (Md.) College.