SALISBURY, Md. -- After rolling to an impressive 3-0 victory over New Hampshire's Rivier University early Saturday, Virginia Wesleyan College's volleyball Marlins came close to knocking off one of the nation's top 20 teams.

Salisbury University, ranked 20th in this weeks American Volleyball Coaches Association's national poll, was pushed to the limit when Virginia Wesleyan pushed the host Sea Gulls into a five-game match at SU's Maggs Center.  The Gulls avoided a home court loss however, scoring a 15-12 win over the Marlins to take the exciting match.

It was only the second five set match of the season for Salisbury.  The other was against then No. 15 ranked Juniata College.  Salisbury also won that one 3-2.

Against VWC the Sea Gulls (21-1) opened with a 25-19 first-set win, before the Marlins (14-5) settled and took the next two sets, 25-21 and 25-23.  Salisbury forced a fifth set by taking a 25-21 decision in the fourth.

Virginia Wesleyan led 2-1 in the first set before the Gulls outscored the Marlins 9-1 to take the lead for good.  Set two produced 10 ties before three consecutive points gave VWC a 20-18 advantage.  The Marlins pushed the lead to 23-19, helped by a timely block by Taylor Allen (Bowie, Md./Bladensburg Elizabeth Seton) and Kirstin Sessoms (Virginia Beach/Bayside).  Kills by Kala Guy (Fishersville/Wilson Memorial) and Allen helped the Marlins close out the win.

Three consecutive kills by Guy helped create a 4-1 lead lead in the third set for the Marlins, who led 6-2 on a Sessoms ace.  Salisbury rallied back to open a 13-10 lead, before VWC answered and tied the set at 15-all.  There were ties at 21, 22, and 23 before Guy registered a kill for a 24-23 Marlin lead.  A block by Torey Garin (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) and Sessoms led to the winning point.

Set four was another intense battle with nine ties, the last at 15-all. A VWC error and consecutive kills by the Gulls' Kelly Vieira (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) gave Salisbury the lead at 18-15.  The Marlins closed within a point at 20-19, but could not grab the lead as Salisbury held on for the 25-21 decision.

The fifth set was tied six times before a kill by Chelsea Glowacki (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) gave the Gulls an 11-10 lead. Salisbury stayed in front to the end.

Virginia Wesleyan started off with a kill by Tempe Martens (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) against Rivier's Raiders and never trailed in the first set.  VWC led by as many as eight point several times in the set, including 23-15.

Rivier, the defending champion of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and preseason pick to repeat as champion in 2012, took the early led in the second set but could not hold on.  VWC came back to create eight ties before two Raider errors gave the Marlins a lead that grew to 24-19.

In the third set Rivier's only lead was a 1-0. Kills by Kerry Johnson (Richmond/J.R. Tucker) and Martens gave the lead to the Marlins, who eventually led 14-8.  Rivier closed to within two points at 16-14, before the Marlins pushed in front 19-14 on kills by Martens, Johnson, and Allen.  The Marlins won the match on three consecutive kills by Guy and Martens.

Martens led VWC against Rivier with 12 kills.  Guy added 11 and led the Marlins with nine digs.  Sessoms produced 35 assists, Johnson contributed with five aces, and Allen finished with five block assists.

Kenna Finlayson (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) led Rivier with 12 kills, Jessica Amaral (East Providence, R.I./East Providence) recorded 12 digs, and Emily O'Reilly (San Francisco, Calif./Convent of the Sacred Heart) produced 29 assists.

Guy came through against Salisbury to record a match-high 20 kills.  She also had 17 digs.  Rookie Marin Crowder (Charlottesville/Crozet Western Albemarle) led the Marlins with 23 digs and Martens followed with 20. Sessoms recorded a career-high 48 assists.

Glowacki paced Salisbury with 18 kills and 21 digs. Carley Todd (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) produced 52 assists.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Friday, Oct. 5, hosting Eastern Mennonite University at 7 p.m.

--AMDG--