Salisbury University’s women’s volleyball team completed a perfect run through the Margie Knight Classic on Sept. 5 at the Maggs Physical Activities Center in Salisbury, Maryland. The Sea Gulls defeated Muskingum 3-2 and Lebanon Valley 3-1 to finish unbeaten at the tournament.
Salisbury University defeated Muskingum 22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 18-25, 15-11 before overcoming Lebanon Valley 18-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15. The result marked the program’s third perfect Margie Knight Classic and improved Salisbury’s all-time tournament record to 11-1.
Kiley McTaggart leads Salisbury University women’s volleyball
Kiley McTaggart recorded 16 kills, 19 digs and five blocks, including two solo blocks, in the win over Muskingum to notch her second career double-double. She followed with 15 kills and one error against Lebanon Valley, hitting .341 while adding five blocks, including two solo blocks, and four digs. McTaggart entered that match with 984 career kills at Salisbury University, leaving her 16 short of 1,000.
Sophia Tapia added 11 kills at a .409 attack rate and seven blocks, including three solo blocks, against Muskingum and posted 10 kills at a .474 attack rate with three block assists in the Lebanon Valley match.
Salisbury University women’s volleyball rallies past Muskingum
Muskingum won the opening set, but Salisbury answered by taking the second and third sets. The Fighting Muskies forced a deciding set with a 25-18 fourth-set victory before Salisbury secured the match with a 15-11 win in the fifth.
Amanda Meschi recorded 10 kills and 11 digs for the first double-double of her career. Julie Altieri finished with 41 assists and 17 digs for her second double-double of the season and the 51st of her career. Elizabeth Villegas led all players with 23 digs and added three aces. Ellie Mitchell recorded seven kills, Elizabeth Gordon had six kills, and Sophia Blaufuss contributed 12 digs. Salisbury outhit Muskingum .232 to .176 and held a 14-4 advantage in blocks.
Salisbury University women’s volleyball finishes with Lebanon Valley win
Lebanon Valley took the opening set, but Salisbury won the next three to complete the four-set victory. Salisbury overcame a 12-4 deficit in the third set and finished the fourth set with a 25-15 win.
Altieri recorded 40 assists and eight digs against Lebanon Valley, bringing her career total to 2,922 assists. Villegas added a match-high 26 digs and two aces, while Meschi recorded nine kills and Gordon had eight kills at a .357 attack rate. Salisbury outhit Lebanon Valley .228 to .068.
The Sea Gulls will next compete in the Tufts Invitational, playing Trinity (Texas) at 12:30 p.m. and Bowdoin at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11 before facing Tufts at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 12.
Salisbury University is an NCAA Division III institution with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference. It is also an affiliate member in several other conferences, supporting 23 varsity sports and over 500 student-athletes. Recognized as one of the nation’s most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, Salisbury has won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships. The program has produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
MSB Analysis
Salisbury University women’s volleyball combined balanced production with strong defensive numbers to finish the Margie Knight Classic unbeaten. McTaggart supplied a team-leading presence across both matches, while Salisbury’s blocking against Muskingum and hitting efficiency against Lebanon Valley helped secure the tournament finish.
Source: Original report
