BOX SCORE vs. Widener
BOX SCORE vs. PSU-Altoona
Photo Gallery

Center Valley, PA (October 8, 2011) – The DeSales University volleyball team continued its terrific season with a home tri-match sweep of Widener University, 3-2 (25-14, 20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 17-15), and PSU-Altoona, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21), to run its win streak to four straight and improve to 23-3 overall on the season.

In what has become a theme this season in matches with Widener University (13-7), the Bulldogs had to grind out a five-set win as these two teams have now met three times with all three matches going five sets and DSU taking two of the three.  DeSales then played four sets with PSU-Altoona (11-9) in which the losing team in each set scored a minimum of 20 points.

The 23 wins ties current head coach Michele Zabinski's personal best in this her seventh year on the sideline and is tied for the most eighth most wins in a season.  The school-record for wins in a season is 29, set in 1995.  The Bulldogs have six more regular season matches on the schedule, prior to beginning the post-season.

In the Widener match, DeSales dug deep after trailing 2-1 to win sets four and five.  Junior Paige Horrigan and sophomore Haley Petrarca led the way with 12 kills each and Horrigan added four blocks.  Freshman Julie Blessing, sophomore Emilie Baker, and senior Lauren Hickey each added nine kills with Baker totaling 22 digs and Blessing blocking three attack attempts.

Junior Justine McNulty totaled eight kills, 52 assists, 16 digs, and three blocks, sophomore Madeline Svrcek finished with 19 digs, junior Eden Reichard had 33 digs, and freshman Amanda Wallitsch added 26 digs in the win.

In the Altoona win, Hickey led the charge with 17 kills and Petrarca added 13 kills with each player totaling two blocks.  Horrigan finished with eight kills and four blocks and freshman Chrissy Banos filled in nicely for an injured Blessing with seven kills in just three sets of action.

McNulty totaled 47 assists and 12 digs, Reichard had 26 digs, Baker 22 digs, Wallitsch 14 digs, and Svrcek 10 digs to lead a strong defensive back row.

The Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday, October 12th with a huge Freedom Conference match with FDU-Florham beginning at 7:00 pm with the winner taking control of second place in the Freedom Conference standings and having a leg up on the chance to host a Freedom Conference playoff match.