FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Salisbury University volleyball team saw its winning streak reach a level not seen in nine years, extending it to eight and nine consecutive victories by taking down the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21) and Mary Washington Eagles 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-20, 25-11) in Saturday afternoon's Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) action at UMW's Ron Rosner Arena.
 
The Sea Gulls' nine-match winning streak marks their longest since 2015 when SU won 10 straight from Oct. 10 through Nov. 5, capped by a 3-1 triumph over UMW in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.
 
MATCH ONE
The Sea Gulls settled into a groove midway through the first set, taking a 12-9 lead and netting six of the next eight to expand it to 18-11 on a Jackie Mitchell kill. After the Banana Slugs got two back, SU punched back with four in a row and soon after rolled to a 25-16 margin on a strike from Emma Quandt.
 
UCSC answered with seven straight points to open the second set. Salisbury chipped away through the rest of the frame and eventually took a 22-21 lead, but the Banana Slugs managed four of the final five points, drawing even in the match as Olly Gordon iced the fixture 25-23.
 
After a back-and-forth start to set three, Kiley McTaggart landed a kill that set off a 6-1 Sea Gull run to balloon a 9-8 lead to 15-9. UCSC got as close as three points on multiple occasions and sat within 23-20 late, but a bad serve and attack error salted it away for SU, 25-20.
 
The teams danced evenly early in the fourth set and the Banana Slugs forced SU to take a timeout after seizing a 15-12 lead. From there the Sea Gulls netted six of the next seven to go up 18-16. After an answer from UCSC, McTaggart powered down back-to-back kills and Salisbury soon after got it to match point at 24-18. The Banana Slugs rallied for three straight but it was too little, too late as Natalie Uibel clinched the match with a kill to finish the job at 25-21.
 
Game Notes

• Kiley McTaggart went off for a team-leading 18 kills on a .424 swing percentage.
• Jackie Mitchell landed 11 kills (.300) and chased down 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season (14th career). Mitchell also teamed up on three block assists.
• Gwen Eustace managed nine kills, while Emma Quandt and Natalie Uibel added six apiece.
• Julie Altieri eclipsed 40 assists for the fourth time this season, putting up 41 helpers with seven digs, five kills, and two service aces.
• Grace Rail led the back line with 16 digs, plus five assists and three aces.
• Uibel chased down 11 digs, while Prudence Marco added 10.
• Salisbury landed 55 kills and swung .272 for the match, including a .500 mark in set four.

 
MATCH TWO
The Sea Gulls again opened with a strong set one, with a Gwen Eustace kill sparking a 9-1 flourish to go from a 9-9 tie to an 18-10 advantage. The Eagles eventually cut it down to five points at 20-15, but SU netted five of the final six in the fixture, using a kill from Natalie Uibel to ice it at 25-16.
 
The teams engaged in a back-and-forth set two before Mary Washington found a groove late, building an 18-16 margin to 22-16. SU had a chance to rally and made it 23-20, but a Libby Potter kill and attack error clinched it for UMW at 25-20.
 
The Eagles held a 7-5 lead early in the third set, but Kiley McTaggart and Prudence Marco bookended a seven-point swing with a kill and an ace, respectively, to put the Sea Gulls in control, 12-7. UMW regrouped and stayed within two-to-three points the rest of the way, but a Eustace-Uibel stuff moved the frame into the SU column at 25-20.
 
Salisbury stormed out of the gates in the fourth set, opening on a 6-1 run and using a 7-1 flourish moments later to nudge it up to 13-4. UMW never got closer than seven the rest of the way, and the Sea Gulls landed the final three points on an Emma Quandt kill and two attack errors to emphatically put it in the books, 25-11.
 
Game Notes

• Gwen Eustace paced a balanced Sea Gull attack with 14 kills (.320) and stood tall up front with four blocks (two solo).
• Kiley McTaggart powered down 13 kills (.310), and Jackie Mitchell racked up 12 kills (.333).
• Emma Quandt swung .636 en route to seven kills against no errors.
• Julie Altieri posted her ninth double-double of the season (22nd career) with 37 assists and 13 digs, plus five kills.
• Grace Rail chased down 19 digs and served up six assists. With 1,492 career digs she is seven away from tying Katie Korreck (2003-06) for eighth-most in program history.
• Natalie Uibel notched 10 digs with five assists and landed three service aces, while Prudence Marco also dealt three aces.
• Salisbury hit .278 as a team with 55 total kills, swinging .500 in the decisive fourth set.
• The Sea Gulls have won all four of their matches against C2C opponents this season and 10 straight over conference foes dating back to last year.

 
The Sea Gulls will head north for a marquee showdown with 23rd-ranked New York University on Friday. Opening serve from Greenwich Village is set for 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 and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 23 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, 199 conference championships, and 50 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.