Volleyball Splits on Final Day of Sea Gull Classic

SALISBURY, Md. – The Virginia Wesleyan College volleyball team split on the final day of the Sea Gull Classic, ensuring a 2-2 record at the Salisbury University tournament. The Marlins defeated Elizabethtown in four sets in the morning match before falling to McDaniel in the afternoon contest.

3-1 Victory over Elizabethtown (26-24, 25-16, 24-26, 25-19)

The Marlins had to battle through several tough sets in each of their last four matches and this was no different, battling to 26-24 decisions in two separate games against Elizabethtown.

VWC captured the first set 26-24 before racing out to a 25-16 second-set win. Elizabethtown fought its way back into the match with a narrow 26-24 third-set victory, but the Marlins closed out the match in the fourth.

Tiffany Barrett led the Marlins with 15 kills and 15 digs. Emilee Pierson posted 28 assists while Meghan Wood contributed 16. Four different Marlins had double-digit digs as Pierson (12), Maddie Starr (11), and Wood (10) joined Barrett. Amber Matalus had a good day on the front line, contributing eight kills and four blocks.

3-1 Loss to McDaniel (25-27, 25-11, 25-23, 25-10)

The Marlins battled through a tough first set to claim an early edge on McDaniel, but the Green Terror rallied to take the next three sets to end their tournament with a victory.

Virginia Wesleyan led the first set 24-23 when a kill by Lauren Wells tied the contest at 24. A service ace from Taylor Bauman made it 25-24 in favor of McDaniel before Virginia Wesleyan would rally for the first set.

Kristina Scott contributed a kill off a Wood assist to fend off a set point and side out. With Pierson serving, a pair of Matalus kills clinched the set for the Marlins.

Matalus led the Marlins with 10 kills as Pierson finished with 18 assists and Starr tallied 19 digs.

Virginia Wesleyan (4-5) travels to N.C. Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. non-conference match on Tuesday.