SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Salisbury University volleyball team dropped a straight-sets decision to the Swarthmore Garnet, falling 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-18) to open the Swarthmore Invitational on Friday evening at Tarble Pavilion.
The Garnet gained separation midway through the first set, building a 9-8 lead as large as 19-14 and getting to set point at 24-20. The Sea Gulls hung tough and notched the next three, moving within one on a kill from
Sophia Tapia, but Isabel Adam landed a kill to give Swarthmore the opening dub at 25-23.
Salisbury held a 14-11 advantage halfway through set two before the Garnet rattled off eight in a row to go up 19-14. SU could never get its footing from there and saw Ella Tsai register the kill to give the hosts a 25-19 triumph.
Swarthmore broke it open much earlier in the third, this time with an 8-0 run to balloon a 6-5 margin into 14-5. SU settled down and whittled the deficit down to 15-12, but the Garnet punched back with four straight and cruised to the finish line from there. Adam supplied back-to-back strikes to clinch the sweep for the home side, 25-18.
GAME NOTES
- Kiley McTaggart registered her fourth double-double of the season and third straight with a team-high 11 kills and 11 digs.
- Amanda Meschi added nine kills and nine digs, narrowly missing her own double-double.
- Sophia Tapia was the Sea Gulls' most efficient hitter for the day, powering down six kills at a .313 rate.
- Julie Altieri dished out 30 assists while adding four digs and a solo block.
- Sophia Blaufuss chipped in eight digs.
- Salisbury hit .139 as a team, well off the pace of the Garnet's .271 clip.
The Sea Gulls continue play at the Swarthmore Invitational on Saturday with bouts schedule against DeSales at 1:30 p.m. and Widener at 6:30 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
