ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Marymount University men's volleyball team continued its hot start to the season on  Saturday afternoon with a pair of wins over Penn State Behrend and Arcadia University. The victories pushed Marymount's record to a spotless 5-0, the best start through five matches in program history. 

Match One: Marymount vs. Penn-State Behrend (3-0)

The Marymount Saints rolled past Penn-State Behrend in three sets, as the Saints offense dominated the Lions with 41 kills compared to 26 from the visitors. On top of a high kill output, the Saints swung at a tidy .282 clip and held the Lions to a .135 attack percentage. Senior Ervin Harrell led the game with 13 kills, nine of which came in the first set alone. The Saints tallied seven service aces, three of which belonged to senior Miles Olson. 

MU's high-powered offense won the first set for the Saints with 14 kills and two service aces. The set was never in doubt, as the Blue and White ended the frame witha 25-20. 

The Saints' offense continued to flow in the second set. Marymount nearly doubled the Lions in kills, 13-7 to seal the set. Senior Jason Perkins and Sophomore Caden Kelty led the Saints in the second set with three kills apiece. 

Marymount followed a similar script in the third set, as the Blue and White floored another 14 kills. Penn State Behrend snuck ahead, 12-11, in the middle of the set, but the Saints responded with four straight points, highlighted by a kill from Sava Topich. While the Lions made a late run, a kill from Kelty brought the set and match to a close with a final score of 25-21.  

Match Two: Marymount vs. Arcadia University (3-0)

MU continued its winning ways in the second match of the day against Arcadia University. The Saints swept the Knights, 3-0 ( 25-13, 25-12, 25-15). Marymount pieced together a stellar two-way performance at the net to fluster the Knights. 

The Saints ended the tilt with a season-best .403 attack percentage, while Arcadia hit at a -.026 clip. The performance marked the first time the Saints hit over .400 since they recorded a .434 attack percentage in a win over Randolph-Macon College on March 22, 2021. Marymount added nine blocks and 25 digs to keep the Knights' offense at bay.

On the offensive side of the ball, senior Raymond Tarasi punished the Knights. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, product swung at a spectacular .636 rate and tallied a match-high 16 kills. He added four digs and one service ace to his stat line. Harrell and Perkins chipped in with five kills apiece.  Topich led the Blue and White's offense with 27 assists, his fourth performance of the season with 20 or more assists. 

Marymount hits the road for a pair of contests on Saturday, January 29, when it takes on Lancaster Bible College and Hiram College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. First serve against the Chargers is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., while the tilt against the Terriers is set for a 1:00 p.m. start.