Salisbury University women’s volleyball will enter the 2026 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament as the No. 2 seed and face the No. 3 UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs in Friday’s semifinal. The match is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the William M. Anderson Center in Fredericksburg, Va.
The Salisbury Sea Gulls are 15-9 overall and 3-2 against Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference opponents. Salisbury is seeking its second league title in four years and fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
Salisbury University Women’s Volleyball Faces UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz enters the semifinal as the No. 3 seed with a 13-10 overall record and a 2-1 mark against C2C opponents. The rest of the five-team field includes No. 1 Christopher Newport, No. 4 Mary Washington and No. 5 Regent.
Christopher Newport is 20-8 overall and 5-2 against C2C opponents. Mary Washington is 14-9 overall and 3-3 against conference opponents, while Regent is 16-15 overall and 2-4 against C2C opponents.
Sea Gulls Enter Tournament With Strong Statistical Profile
Salisbury ranks 48th nationally in blocks per set at 1.99 and 73rd in digs per set at 16.74. The Sea Gulls also rank 99th nationally in hitting percentage at .201 and 126th in winning percentage at .625.
Senior Julie Altieri leads the C2C in assists per set at 9.20 and ranks second in total assists with 635. Senior Kiley McTaggart ranks third in kills per set at 3.36 and has 242 kills, while junior Sophia Tapia leads the conference with 83 blocks and a 0.98 blocks-per-set average.
Junior Sophia Blaufuss ranks second in the C2C in digs per set at 4.25 and third in total digs with 361. Freshman Elizabeth Gordon leads the conference in hitting percentage at .347, sophomore Amanda Meschi ranks sixth in kills per set at 2.58, and senior Elizabeth Villegas ranks ninth in service aces per set at 0.43.
Kendall Jacobsen Discusses Salisbury’s Preparation
Salisbury head volleyball coach Kendall Jacobsen said the Sea Gulls remain focused on the goals they established in August as they prepare for the C2C Tournament.
“We’re in a good place as a team as we prepare for the C2C Tournament. This team is locked in on the goals we set back in August and ready to show what we’re made of. I’m proud of this group and excited to see them show off their heart and talent in pursuit of a conference title,” Jacobsen said.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Salisbury University women’s volleyball enters the tournament with conference-leading production from Altieri and Tapia, along with major contributions from McTaggart, Blaufuss and Gordon. The Sea Gulls’ national rankings in blocks and digs also highlight the team’s defensive profile ahead of its semifinal against UC Santa Cruz.
The No. 2 seed will try to extend its conference-title pursuit and NCAA Tournament streak when the semifinal begins Friday in Fredericksburg.
Source: Original report
