SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University volleyball team didn't miss a step in its return to action, sweeping through the Catholic Cardinals, 3-0 (25-4, 25-9, 25-15) in the first game of the 2024 Margie Knight Classic on Friday evening at the Maggs Physical Activities Center.
After spotting the Cardinals the first two points of the first set, the Sea Gulls rattled off 11 in a row to go up 11-2, three of which came on kills by
Kiley McTaggart. Up 14-4 later on, Salisbury closed the opening frame on an 11-0 run, capped by back-to-back
Gwen Eustace strikes to put it away at 25-4.
The Sea Gulls controlled the second set early and went on a tear midway through, ballooning a 13-6 lead to 21-6 with
Sophia Blaufuss serving. The teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way with SU using a kill and an ace from
Natalie Uibel to clinch a 25-9 margin.
SU opened up a 9-3 advantage early in the third set, with Eustace and
Jackie Mitchell teaming up with a block to cap the push. CUA regrouped and got as close as 21-15 later on, but the Sea Gulls snatched the final four points, with
Julie Altieri notching one final ace to put away the set and the match, 25-15.
GAME NOTES
- Natalie Uibel paced a balanced Sea Gull attack with 10 kills. She also racked up four service aces and finished one dig shy of a double-double with nine digs.
- Kiley McTaggart landed nine kills without an error on 16 swings, good for a .563 hitting percentage.
- Gwen Eustace swung .600 on the way to six kills to go along with eight blocks (six solo)
- Julie Altieri notched a double-double with 22 assists and 11 digs, plus five kills and two aces.
- Grace Rail posted a well-rounded stat sheet with five digs, five assists, three aces, and two kills.
- SU swung .325 as a team, powering down 37 kills.
- The Sea Gulls dealt 13 service aces and blocked 11 CUA swings.
The Sea Gulls will continue play in the Margie Knight Classic on Saturday with a pair of matches. SU will battle Swarthmore at approximately 12 p.m. and close the tournament against Mount Aloysius at 4 p.m.
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.
