Arlington, Va. – The Marymount University women's volleyball squad kicked off Saturday's doubleheader with a big conference win over CAC rival Mary Washington – securing second place in final conference standings and earning the 3-seed for the upcoming league tournament.  After downing the Eagles in four sets (25-21, 25-22, 15-25, 25-15), the Saints capped their weekend effort with a four-set win over Eastern Mennonite (25-15, 24-26, 25-8, 25-11).  The Saints tie the program record for most wins in a season with the pair of victories, moving to 26-9 overall and 7-2 in CAC action.

Morgan McAlpin finished the opener with a team-high nine kills, followed closely by Erin Allison and Emileigh Rettig with eight and seven kills, respectively. 

The first set proved a point-for-point affair with the Saints never trailing, but also never leading the Eagles by more than four.

The second set saw the visitors jump out to a 4-1 lead, though it would not last for long.  The Saints quickly closed the gap and traded points with the Eagles until the squads were locked at 14-14.  McAlpin stepped back to serve for the Blue and White and sparked a 6-0 run – bringing the Marymount advantage to a comfortable 20-14.

Mary Washington battled back to a paper-thin 23-22 deficit, but could not surpass the Saints, as a kill from Allison laid the groundwork for set-point.

The third set fell completely in the visitors' favor as the Eagles jumped out to another early lead – this time holding it for the set's entirety.  Mary Washington pushed the score to 7-4 and never let the Saints within four points as they broke away and forced a fourth set.

After wrestling to a 4-4 deadlock in the fourth set, the Saints pulled away, leading the Eagles by as much as 14 points to haul in the conference win.

The nightcap proved a similar affair with Marymount and Eastern Mennonite swapping the first two sets before the Saints found their stride. 

The Blue and White buried the nonconference Royals in the third and fourth sets – securing their 26th win this season and tying the program record.

Senior Erin Allison paved the way in the nightcap, collecting a double-double with her match-high 11 kills and 12 digs.  Classmate Cassidie Watson registered 36 digs on the day to bolster the Saints' defensive effort.

As the 3-seed heading into the CAC postseason, Marymount is slated to host the 6-seed in Verizon Sports Arena on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals.  Opponent and time have yet to be determined.  Please continue to check www.MarymountSaints.com for match information.