READING, Pa.  -- The Marymount University men's volleyball team started its season strong on Saturday afternoon with a pair of convincing three-set wins over Alvernia University and Mount St. Joseph University.  

Match One

The Golden Wolves made life difficult for the Saints in the opening set, but the Saints maintained a lead for the majority of the frame. Senior Jason Perkins tallied the first two kills of the match to give the Saints the lead. Two errors by the Saints gave Alvernia a temporary lead, but senior Miles Olson caught the Golden Wolves' lead with three kills. The Saints cruised from there and ended the set with a four-point lead. Both Olson and Perkins tallied four kills during the first set.

The Saints took control of the second set with 14 kills, six of which belonged to senior Raymond Tarasi. Marymount closed out the set with an 11 point lead. While the Saints quickly gained the lead in the third set, the Golden Wolves knotted the score at 15-15. Four kills by Tarasi and kills by Olson and Perkins won the third set for the Saints.

Tarasi led the Saints in kills with 15 followed by Olson with eight. Senior Chris Manganiello led the game in digs tallying nine. The Saints led the Golden Wolves in attack percentage with an average of .392 to .108.

Match Two

MU cruised in the first set against the Lions behind a .321 team attack percentage. Senior Ervin Harrell registered the first kill of the match, while freshman Luke Pogue followed with the first of his career. Kills by Olson, Perkins, Tarasi, Pogue, and Harrell lifted the Blue and White to a five-point win.

The Saints scored the first four points of the second set on account of two errors by the Lions and kills by Tarasi and Olson. Pogue tallied an additional two kills to help the Saints maintain their edge. Pogue's classmate, Will Wright registered the first kill of his career and put down the final kill of the frame.  

The final set was a back-and-forth affair, which Marymount eventually won, 31-29. The Saints closed out the frame with a 3-0 run spurred on by a kill from Wright. 

Tarasi once again led the Saints in kills with 16. Manganiello and Sava Topich tied for the team lead with 10 digs apiece. Topich added 31 assists for a double-double. The Saints led their opponent in attack percentage with a mark of .276 compared to .202 average from the Lions

Marymount returns to the court on Wednesday, January 19, when it hosts Messiah University at 7:00 p.m.