CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Salisbury University volleyball team concluded a phenomenal 2023 season in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament, falling to the eighth-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas by a 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-18) margin on Friday evening at Rockwell Cage on the campus of MIT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Claremont-Mudd-Scripps started hot, taking a 10-2 lead in the first 12 points of the evening. The foes split the next 10 points before the Athenas took five of the next seven points to establish a 20-9 head start.
- Salisbury punched down four kills and worked the margin to as low as eight, but Audrey Sawyer pounded the putaway to secure a 25-15 CMS win in the first frame.
- Neither side surrendered an inch for much of the second set. The teams played to a 13-13 score before the Athenas took four out of five to build a 17-14 lead.
- The Sea Gulls penned their response, winning six of the following seven points to go in front, 20-18. CMS swung the pendulum back in their favor in the waning points, though, snatching seven of nine to win the second set 25-22.
- The Athenas again jumped in front early in the third stanza, 12-2. Salisbury responded with a 5-2 run to cut the margin to seven and added a three-point swing four scores later to set the score at 17-12.
- CMS claimed a pair of points before the teams split the next five for a 21-15 line. Salisbury sought a late surge, taking three out of four late in the set, but a service error nipped the Sea Gulls as the Athenas clinched the third set and the match, 25-18.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Kiley McTaggart finished with nine kills and three blocks to lead the Sea Gulls up front.
- Jackie Mitchell punched six kills and added five digs.
- Gwen Eustace garnered six putaways (.286) and four blocks.
- Julie Altieri distributed 22 assists with six digs.
- Grace Rail totaled 11 digs in the season's final match.
- Salisbury swung .111 in the match, highlighted by a .344 clip in the second set.
CMS GAME NOTES
- Jenna Holmes double-doubled in the win, stacking 12 kills at a .375 clip while adding 11 digs.
- Brenna Bell finished with nine kills, swinging .313 on the evening.
- Audrey Sawyer tallied eight kills on a .636 hitting night.
- Georgia McGovern passed out 36 assists while adding six kills and five digs.
- Dede Carranza finished with a game-high 17 digs.
- Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swung .320 in the match, led by a .341 clip in the second stanza.
WRAPPING UP
- The Sea Gulls conclude the 2023 season with a 21-8 record, matching last season's win total, and a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) championship.
- Salisbury qualified for and won a match in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season under second-year head coach Nikki Binetti. The last time SU won an NCAA Tournament game in consecutive seasons was in 2011-12 under Hall-of-Fame boss Margie Knight.
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.
