CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Down two sets and standing one point from elimination, the Salisbury University volleyball team unleashed a comeback of epic proportions, completing the reverse sweep to snatch a 3-2 (18-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-21, 15-10) victory from the Williams College Ephs in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament on Thursday afternoon at Rockwell Cage on the campus of MIT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Sea Gulls and Ephs played to a 14-14 tie across the opening 28 points of the first set. Williams embarked on the first significant stretch in the frame, scoring five straight points and eight of the next nine to establish a 22-15 lead.
- Salisbury got a pair of kills from Gwen Eustace in the final six points, but the Ephs stood their ground as Tatum Baker recorded the kill to clinch the set, 25-18.
- The second fixture saw the first 20 points divided evenly, 10-10, with Eustace accumulating three kills in that span while Natalie Uibel and Julie Altieri each picked up a putaway. Williams claimed five of the next six, but Emma Quandt punched a pair of kills in the next three points to help SU tighten the gap, 15-14.
- Williams answered the call with two four-point swings, separated by a pair in favor of SU, to increase the margin, 23-16. The Sea Gulls took four of the next five, but a Salisbury service error put a bow on the second set, 25-20.
- Facing what could have been its final set of the year, SU came out swinging in the third. Kiley McTaggart slammed three kills and added a block in the early points, helping craft a 15-9 advantage for the maroon and gold.
- The Ephs nabbed six of the next nine to bring the score to 18-15 before a five-point run earned them the lead, 20-18. The teams alternated each of the next six points before SU tied the set at 23-23. A Salisbury attack error brought Williams to match point, but a furious effort headlined by a Uibel kill and an Altieri ace helped the Sea Gulls stay alive in the match, 26-24.
- Much like the opener, Salisbury and Williams split the first 28 points of the fourth frame, 14-14. The combo of Eustace and McTaggart joined forces for three kills and a pair of blocks across the next 10 points, helping SU take eight of them to lead 22-16.
- The Ephs began their comeback effort, taking the next three points, but Salisbury soon squashed the rally, with kills from Quandt and Altieri helping them win two in a row to force set point. Two points after, a Williams service error gave SU a win in set four, 25-21.
- Salisbury scored the first three points on the march to 15 and never looked back, holding the lead for the duration of the final frame. Jackie Mitchell and Uibel combined for seven kills in the fifth set, while McTaggart ripped the final kill to secure the 15-10 set victory and the squad's second five-set comeback victory in as many matches.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Gwen Eustace was nigh unstoppable against the Ephs, powering a team-high 15 kills while swinging a sharp .700 in the match. Eustace added five blocks and a trio of digs as well.
- Kiley McTaggart finished with 12 kills and punched a crisp .400, joining Eustace with five blocks on the afternoon.
- Natalie Uibel garnered her third consecutive double-double and her fifth of the campaign, tallying 10 kills and 11 digs while adding four assists.
- Emma Quandt totaled six kills while leaping for four blocks in the match.
- Julie Altieri continued a dominant freshman campaign, collecting her 12th double-double with 40 assists and 12 digs while finishing with seven kills, three shy of a triple-double.
- Grace Rail led the defensive effort with a team-high 19 digs in the win. Rail also sent over four service aces.
- The Sea Gulls swung .247 for the match, headlined by excellent showings in the fourth (.370) and fifth (.333) sets.
- Salisbury holds an unblemished 7-0 record in five-set matches this season.
- The reverse sweep is the second for the comeback kids this season, who came back to topple then-19th-ranked Mary Washington on Sept. 30 after dropping the first two sets. SU has won 14 of 16 matches since that epic turnaround.
WILLIAMS GAME NOTES
- Marit Hoyem led the Ephs attack in the match, punching 17 kills at a .630 clip while adding five digs and three assists.
- Annaliese Fricke also finished with 17 putaways and totaled three blocks.
- Tatum Baker tallied 12 kills and eight digs, while Keely Campuzano finished with 10 kills.
- Lauren Kauppila and Morgan Daetz each finished with 24 assists and topped double-digit digs, with Kauppila compiling 14 and Daetz totaling 10. The duo also combined for eight service aces.
- Helen Qian led the Ephs with four blocks.
- Sidra Wohlwend posted a game-high 26 digs in the five-set thriller.
- The Ephs swung .247 for the match, headlined by an impressive .439 clip in the first frame and a .303 clip in the second set.
- Volleyball becomes the third sport in the calendar year 2023 in which Williams College has seen its season end against Salisbury in an NCAA Tournament. The Sea Gulls sent the Ephs home for good in both softball in May and field hockey last Saturday.
UP NEXT
- With the victory, Salisbury advances to face eighth-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Athenas swept UMass Dartmouth in three sets in its first-round matchup on Thursday afternoon.
- First serve of the regional semifinal from Rockwell Cage is slated for 4:30 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the 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 celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
