ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Marymount University women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on its home court on Saturday, as the Saints swept St. Mary's College of Maryland in their opening tilt of the day. 

Match One

The Saints showcased their defensive ability to open Saturday's tri-match, as they rolled to a straight-set win over the Seahawks. MU kept the ball off the floor throughout the affair and got plenty of hands up at the net which resulted in a measly .078 attack percentage for the visitors. Junior Natalie Garbalosa led the effort with a match-best 16 digs.

On the offensive side of the ball, Kaitlyn Doyle paced the Blue and White with 8 kills. Elissa Munsterman and Maya Harris chipped in with eight kills apiece. Alexis Franklin and Sydney Sands both finished in double-digits with 10 and 18 assists, respectively. 

After Marymount took the first set, 25-19, the Saints fended off a late rally from St. Mary's to take the second frame, 27-25. The visitors fended off a set-point chance for the Saints, but Elissa Munsterman responded with one of her six kills. The sophomore brought the set to a close on the very next point with a service ace. 

St. Mary's stuck close to the Saints to open the final frame, but, MU used a 4-0 run, bookended by kills from Doyle and Munsterman, to seize a 15-8 lead. Marymount cruised from there and a kill from Myia Jeter brought the set and match to a close at 25-18.

Match Two

The second match of the afternoon was a four-set slugfest between Marymount and Salisbury University. The Sea Gulls managed to take a two-sets-to-none lead after a tight 28-26 victory in the second set. The 2-0 deficit proved to be too much for the Saints to overcome, as they fell in a 3-1 decision. 

After the Sea Gulls stole the second frame, the Blue and White roared back to take the third set. MU utilized a 3-0 run, kickstarted by a kill from Katee Stromberg, to jump ahead, 21-17. Salisbury halted the run with a kill of its own,  but the Saints rattled off four consecutive points two close out the set. Caylee Shelton supplied two of the four with a pair of kills. 

Marymount traded points with the visitors to open the fourth set as it looked to force a fifth stanza. Salisbury's consistent attack eventually resulted in a 23-17 edge late in the frame. MU responded with three-straight points, highlighted by an emphatic block from Harris and Munsterman. It was too little, too late, for the Saints, however, as Salsibury hung on for the 25-20 victory. 

Doyle and Munsterman both finished with double-doubles against the Sea Gulls. Doyle tallied 13 kills and 11 digs, while Munsterman finished with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sands added a double-double of her own with a match-high 31 assists and 10 digs. Garbalosa paced both teams with 25 digs. 

Marymount returns to the court on Saturday, October 2, when it heads to Owings Mills, Maryland, for a tri-match at Stevenson University. MU opens the day at 11:00 a.m. against the host Mustangs before battling Lynchburg University at 1:00 p.m.