SALISBURY, Md. – Playing its first home matches of the season, the Salisbury University volleyball team gave its fans a double bill of excitement, sweeping the Muhlenberg Mules, 3-0 (25-17, 31-29, 25-20), and taking down the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, 3-1 (26-28, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22), on Saturday afternoon at the Maggs Physical Activities Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. MUHLENBERG

• The Sea Gulls used an early surge to go up 6-3, capped by a kill from Amanda Chew, but the Mules rallied and stayed within one or two points all the way to the 16-15 mark. From there SU netted three straight on kills from Angelina Casserly, Jackie Mitchell and Brooke Young to build the lead to 19-15.
• After MC got one back, SU rattled off five in a row on a Casserly kill, Jenna Feinauer block, Mitchell kill and two attack errors to make it 24-16. Following a service error, Gwen Eustace put the set to bed at 25-17 with a kill.
• Down 14-12 midway through the second set, the Mules seized control with an 8-0 run to take a 20-14 lead.
• Salisbury regrouped and charged back and scored seven of the next eight points, drawing even at 21-21 on a kill from Mitchell.
• From there each team went punch-for-punch well after the regulation 25 points. SU fought off two set points in a row, while Muhlenberg stayed alive on four straight set points. With the scored tied 29-29, Casserly hammered down back-to-back kills to finally salt it away for the Sea Gulls, 31-29.
• SU opened the third set on a 9-4 push, but the Mules scored four straight to get within one at 9-8 and eventually tie it at 12-12. Feinauer then blasted a kill that set up a 5-1 run to push the Sea Gulls in front 17-13, but MC refused to give in and fought back to get within 21-20.
• Late sub Natalie Uibel then clocked a kill, followed by one from Chew, an attack error and one more from Chew to put the set and the match in the books, 25-20.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Amanda Chew led the Sea Gull offense with 17 kills on a .317 hitting percentage. She also narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs.
• Angelina Casserly landed 12 kills against just one error on 18 swings, good for a staggering .611 hitting percentage.
• Gwen Eustace powered down nine kills, while Jackie Mitchell added seven.
• Jenna Feinauer went up for two solo blocks, plus three kills.
• Brooke Young notched a team-high 22 assists, plus four digs, while Blair Pausic finished right behind her with 21 assists, plus seven digs.
• Grace Rail paced the back line with 18 digs.
• The Sea Gulls swung .323 for the match, powering 54 kills against 14 errors.

MUHLENBERG GAME NOTES

• Christina Marcin powered 11 kills to lead the Mules, while Esmae Oehler added eight of her own.
• Emma Eglinton assisted on 26 kills and added nine digs.
• Alyssa Faville dug out 15 shot and notched four of Muhlenberg's six service aces.
• MC swung .134 for the match with 33 kills and 18 errors.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. VA. WESLEYAN

• Tied 3-3 early in the first set, the Sea Gulls rattled off an 8-1 run, capped by back-to-back Brooke Young aces to make it 11-4.
• The Marlins kept pace up until the 15-9 mark, then netted six in a row to tie it at 15-15. Jenna Feinauer brought the run to an end with a kill, but the teams traded blows from there and VWU took a 20-19 lead on a Morgan Ludovici kill.
• Salisbury scored three in a row on an Amanda Chew kill, attack error and bad set to go up 22-20 and eventually held set point at 24-22. The Marlins regrouped and tied it 24-24 on an attack error and block, and the set advanced past regulation. After each team fought off a set point, Breana Brooks and Abbey Clayton landed back-to-back kills to win the set for VWU, 28-26.
• The second set featured early runs from both teams. SU erased a 10-7 deficit by stringing together kills from Angelina Casserly, Feinauer, Chew and Feinauer again to go up 11-10. From there the Marlins rattled off five-of-six to take a 15-12 but the Sea Gulls then grabbed five-of-six themselves, poking ahead 17-16 on a Delaney Madsen kill.
• The teams seesawed their way toward 25, with SU holding set point at 24-22 after a service error. Taylor Paquette's kill brought the Marlins within 24-23, but Young set up Chew for a kill that iced the second set 25-23.
• The third set started just as tight. Trailing 9-8, the Sea Gulls powered four straight kills, with Gwen Eustace, Natalie Uibel, Casserly and Feinauer each finding open floor to put SU ahead 12-9.
• The Marlins closed the gap, though, and neither side could string together more than two points for the rest of the fixture. After Clayton tied it for VWU at 23-23, Salisbury put up the road blocks at the net, with Eustace and Madsen teaming up for one stuff and the Eustace-Feinauer connection sealing another off to put away the set at 25-23.
• VWU inched ahead early in the fourth set, putting together a 4-1 run that ballooned a 7-6 lead to 11-7. From there the Sea Gulls closed the gap with a Feinauer kill and back-to-back strikes from Uibel to make it 11-10.
• Down 13-11 moments later, Blair Pausic set up Chew for back-to-back kills to tie it 13-13, then a bad set and Eustace kill put Salisbury in the driver's seat at 15-13. Nursing a 16-15 advantage moments later, SU netted four of the next five, capped by a Casserly-Feinauer block that made it 20-16.
• After the Marlins rallied to get within 21-20, Feinauer blasted a kill and teamed up with Chew for a block that made it 23-20. Clayton and Brooks pieced together two kills to get VWU within 23-22, but an attack error and one last kill from Chew salted away the match for the Sea Gulls, 25-22.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Amanda Chew ran wild up front and in back, leading the Sea Gulls with 19 kills (.283) and 19 digs. The double-double is Chew's fifth of the season and 31st of her SU career.
• Jenna Feinauer loomed large at the front of the net with 15 kills (.542) and eight blocks, including three solo swats.
• Natalie Uibel landed eight kills and dug out 15 attacks. Angelina Casserly added seven kills.
• Gwen Eustace powered five kills and assisted on four blocks.
• Blair Pausic notched a team-high 30 assists and chased down 12 digs for her fifth career double-double and second of the year.
• Brooke Young flirted with her own double-double, serving up 16 assists with eight digs and two aces.
• Grace Rail eclipsed 20 digs for the fourth time this season, blanketing the back line with 25 digs.
• Salisbury racked up 61 kills and swung .244 for the match. SU blocked 11 shots against the Marlins' three.
• All four sets were decided by three points or fewer. The Sea Gulls outscored VWU on aggregate 101-96.
• Salisbury's 9-1 record marks its best 10-game start since going 9-1 to open the 2017 slate.

VA. WESLEYAN GAME NOTES

• Abbey Clayton (17 kills, 11 digs) and Morgan Ludovici (16 kills, 17 digs) each racked up double-doubles to lead the Marlin attack.
• Taylor Paquette powered 13 kills of her own.
• Haley Sutton clocked her own double-double with 29 assists and 13 digs, plus four service aces.
• Salena Jones added 17 assists of her own.
• Becca Hallingstad chased down a team-high 22 digs.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls head to Washington, D.C., for the two-day Worthington Classic at Gallaudet University on Friday and Saturday.
• SU opens play on Friday against Marymount (Va.) at 4 p.m., followed by a rematch with Catholic at 6 p.m.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football, Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 189 conference championships and 43 Academic All-Americans.

To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.