SALISBURY, Md. -- The Marymount University women's volleyball team found itself locked in a battle to open the 2021 campaign on Wednesday against Salisbury University but were unable to find a way past the Sea Gulls on the road.

Salisbury's (1-0) offense found a groove early that kept MU (0-1) at bay for the majority of the match. The Sea Gulls ended the evening with a .310 hitting percentage and 38 kills. MU's offense tallied 28 kills, but the Saints couldn't piece together a consistent attack against the home side. 

After the Sea Gulls took the first set, MU pushed Salisbury to the brink in the second frame. The Saints battled back from an early deficit and pulled within one point at 13-12 after two consecutive aces from Jada Griffith, which forced Salisbury into a timeout. Marymount seized the momentum from there and used a 3-0 run, punctuated by a kill from Kaitlyn Doyle, to take a 19-17 lead. Salisbury wrangled the lead back from the Saints, however, and stole the set from MU. 

Marymount went back-and-forth with Salisbury in the final set of the evening, but some hot hitting and a pair of early runs from the Sea Gulls made the difference, as MU was unable to keep pace with its feathered foe. 

Senior Caylee Shelton paced the Saints with six kills, while Doyle added five. Freshman Katee Stromberg made the first start of her career and supplied four kills with a team-best .429 hitting percentage. The rookie added three block assists to round out her stat-line. Sarah Pham posted a team-high six digs, while Sydney Sands added 11 assists. 

The Saints return to action on Friday, September 3, when they open the Route 42 Classic against Eastern Mennonite University on the campus of Bridgewater College. Opening serve is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.