SALISBURY, Md. – The third time was the charm for the third-seeded Salisbury University volleyball team, who won the 2023 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Tournament Championship after coming up short in the previous two finals. The Sea Gulls outdueled the 21st-ranked and top-seeded Mary Washington Eagles, 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 25-11, 15-13), in a Saturday evening instant classic at Maggs Physical Activities Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Salisbury bolted ahead in the opening frame, using a trio of kills from Kiley McTaggart and pairs of putaways from Gwen Eustace, Natalie Uibel, and Julie Altieri to establish a 15-8 advantage. Mary Washington took four of the next five and did it again two points later to cut the gap to three, 19-16.
- The C2C foes swapped three-point runs to bring the score to 22-19. The Sea Gulls took the next two points and, following a UMW service error, McTaggart punched her fifth kill of the set to secure the 25-20 set win.
- Neither side blinked as the second set began. The teams slugged their way to a 17-17 draw through the first 34 points, and each side followed with consecutive points to tie it again at 19-19.
- The Sea Gulls snatched four of the next six points to construct a 23-21 lead, but Chloe Crosen took over for the Eagles, punching three straight kills before a Salisbury attack error handed UMW the second frame, 25-23.
- Mary Washington kept the momentum rolling through the third set, snapping off two separate five-point swings to write a 17-7 line. A pair of Eustace strikes aided SU as they took six of the following eight points, slicing the margin to six at 19-13.
- After a pair of UMW points, the Sea Gulls ignited, winning eight in a row to tie the set at 21. The Eagles took the blow and punched back as Emily Flamm tallied three kills in the final five points, including the winner that granted her side a 25-22 win in the frame.
- With their backs against the wall, the Sea Gulls delivered. Salisbury opened a commanding 20-9 lead in the fourth frame on the back of Uibel's five kills in the span. SU snatched five of the final seven, with Altieri's kill in the final point placing the cherry on top of a 25-11 win to force a climactic final set.
- The Eagles delivered the first blow in the fifth set, extending a 5-2 advantage in the first seven points. Salisbury took three of the next four to bring the gap to one, but UMW nabbed a pair of consecutive points to bring the score to 8-5.
- Salisbury entered the flow state then, earning six straight points to flip the frame on its head, 11-8. UMW took four of the next five to tie the set at 12, but SU outlasted the Eagles, taking three of the final four as an Eagle attack error sealed the 15-13 set and match victories.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Kiley McTaggart was a guiding light for Salisbury, tying her career high with 15 kills while tacking on seven digs and three blocks.
- Natalie Uibel did it all on Saturday, punching 14 kills while laying out for a career-best 26 digs and adding three blocks.
- Gwen Eustace paired 11 kills with eight digs, three blocks, and two aces in the victory.
- Emma Quandt followed an impressive Friday showing with nine kills and seven blocks in the Saturday win.
- Julie Altieri finished three kills shy of her second triple-double, compiling 49 assists, 15 digs, and seven putaways.
- It was outside hitter Jackie Mitchell who led the defensive effort, scooping a team-high 28 digs while adding nine kills.
- Grace Rail tallied 19 digs and a trio of assists.
- Salisbury swung .188 for the match, including a blistering .394 in the fourth set.
- Rail was voted C2C Tournament MVP, while Quandt and Altieri also made the All-Tournament Team.
- The conference title is the Sea Gulls' ninth in program history and first since winning the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) crown in 2012, the last season under legendary SU Hall-of-Fame coach Margie Knight.
- The victory avenges last season's C2C final that saw Mary Washington take the crown against the Sea Gulls in four sets. Salisbury also reached the championship match in 2021, falling to Christopher Newport in five sets.
- With C2C Tournament wins over CNU and UMW, the Sea Gulls clinched a rare treble against both of their major conference rivals by winning all three matches against the pair this season.
UMW GAME NOTES
- Jordan Lyons finished with game-highs in both kills (17) and digs (36).
- Chloe Crosen finished with 15 kills on a .333 hitting clip.
- Lauren Foley dished out a team-high 27 assists.
- Brenna Campbell paired 21 assists with 16 digs.
- Caitlyn Burch leaped for a team-high four blocks vs. Salisbury.
- UMW swung .137 for the match, with their best performance coming in the third set (.224).
- Three of the Eagles' four losses this season have come at the hands of Salisbury.
UP NEXT
- With the C2C's automatic bid to the Big Dance in hand, the Sea Gulls will make their 11th NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament appearance and second in as many seasons after earning an at-large bid in 2022.
- Salisbury will learn of its 2023 NCAA Tournament foe and destination on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. The selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
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 and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
