OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Salisbury University volleyball team extended its season-opening winning streak to six games, taking down the Gallaudet Bison 3-1 (26-28, 25-20, 25-15, 25-22) and the Stevenson Mustangs 3-0 (25-14, 25-7, 25-19) to cap the Stevenson Quad on Saturday afternoon at Owings Mills Gymnasium.
MATCH ONE
The teams danced evenly through an ultracompetitive first set with neither side able to get more than three points clear of the other. The Sea Gulls fought off three set points as the frame extended beyond regulation, but Brielle Worley clinched it for the Bison with a kill that finished off a 28-26 win.
Salisbury regrouped and gained control early in the second set, extending an 8-5 lead to 12-5 on a combined three kills and a block from
Emma Quandt and
Kiley McTaggart. SU later went on another 4-0 run behind kills from
Jackie Mitchell,
Julie Altieri, and two from
Gwen Eustace to make it 18-9. Gallaudet eventually shrunk the margin to 23-19 but it was too little, too late, and the Sea Gulls put away a 25-20 margin on a service error.
Trailing 6-5 in the third set, a GU service error sparked an 11-point flourish for the Sea Gulls. Altieri dealt three service aces during the run that saw SU go up 16-6. The Bison never got closer than seven during the rest of the frame, and a Eustace ace finished it off at 25-15.
The Sea Gulls went on another big set-swinging run midway through the fourth, netting six straight to boost a 9-7 lead to 15-7. Gallaudet roared back to cut it to 15-14, but Salisbury sweated out five of the next seven, pushing the lead back to 20-16 on a Eustace strike. The Bison got back within two on multiple occasions down the stretch, but GU's final serve went into the net and Salisbury walked away with a 25-22 match-clincher.
Game Notes
- Kiley McTaggart continued her strong weekend with a team-high 13 kills, swinging .478 for the match and committing just two errors.
- Gwen Eustace and Jackie Mitchell each hammered down 10 kills, while Emma Quandt and Natalie Uibel landed nine apiece.
- Julie Altieri doled out 45 assists. She also contributed four kills, three digs, and three of the Sea Gulls' eight service aces.
- Grace Rail posted a team-high 18 digs, while Sophia Blaufuss chased down 14.
- Salisbury hit .248 as a team and limited the Bison to a .101 swing percentage.
- The Sea Gulls blocked 13 GU attacks, with Quandt recording eight blocks (five solo).
MATCH TWO
The Sea Gulls settled into the driver's seat from the get-go, blitzing the Mustangs with an early 7-0 run to go up 9-3 in the first set. Stevenson closed the gap to 17-14 later on, but Salisbury closed the opening frame with eight straight.
Sophia Blaufuss landed back-to-back aces in the run, and
Natalie Uibel finished it off at 25-14 with a kill.
Salisbury strung together five points early in the second set to establish an 8-3 margin. Up 10-5 later on, the Sea Gulls put the pedal to the metal with a 9-0 run that featured four
Julie Altieri aces to make it 19-5. After the Mustangs finally broke the run, Salisbury closed with six of the last seven, clinching the fixture 25-7 after a Stevenson attack error.
The third set featured multiple runs by both sides, with Salisbury swinging a 9-7 deficit into a 12-9 advantage before Stevenson countered to go up 13-12. The teams stayed knotted up until the 18-18 mark, at which point the Sea Gulls found their rhythm to the tune of a 7-1 match-closing flourish. Uibel landed three kills and teamed up for a block in the decisive run that secured a Salisbury sweep at 25-19.
Game Notes
- Kiley McTaggart cleared double-digit kills for the third straight match, registering 10 kills against one error for a .500 swing percentage.
- Natalie Uibel matched McTaggart with 10 kills (.333), plus six digs.
- Gwen Eustace notched five kills with four blocks (two solo).
- Julie Altieri posted her fourth double-double of the year with 23 assists and 11 digs, plus four aces during one turn at serve in the second set.
- Grace Rail dug out 15 Mustang attacks to pace the back line.
- Sophia Blaufuss and Prudence Marco added six digs each.
- Salisbury powered down 35 kills (.232) for the match.
- The Sea Gulls landed double-digit service aces in a three-set sweep for the third time this season, dealing 10 aces.
- Salisbury has opened with at least five straight wins in each of the first three seasons under head coach Nikki Binetti, including a pair of six-game winning streaks in 2022 and 2024.
The Sea Gulls will look to push the winning streak to seven with a visit to Delmarva Peninsula rival Washington College on Tuesday evening. First serve from Chestertown, Md. is set for 6 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.
