Center Valley, PA (October 28, 2015) – The DeSales University volleyball team overcame an 18-12 deficit in the fourth set and shook off a rough start in the fifth set to earn a 3-2 win (23-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 15-9) over FDU-Florham on Wednesday evening clinching the #2 seed and a semifinal home game in next week's MAC Freedom post-season tournament.
 
The win helps DeSales (20-9, 6-1 MAC Freedom) finish second in the MAC Freedom regular season standings as Eastern clinched the top seed.  FDU-Florham, Misericordia University, and King's College all tied for third place with the Devils (21-12, 4-3 MAC Freedom) earning the third seed and Misericordia the fourth seed via tiebreakers setting up a DeSales/FDU rematch one week from tonight in Billera Hall at 7:00 pm in the MAC Freedom semifinals.
 
The Bulldogs dug themselves early holes in nearly every set tonight but fought back each time.  DSU fell behind 4-1 early and continued to trail 18-13 in the first set before tying the score at 18 on five straight points.  The set went back and forth before FDU scored the final two points to win 25-23.
 
DeSales got off to its best start in the second set taking a 4-3 lead before falling behind 8-5.  The Bulldogs trailed 12-11 before rattling off six straight points to take a 17-12 lead and cruised the rest of the way for a 25-18 win.
 
FDU scored the first three points of the third set and went on a 14-4 run to turn a 7-7 tie into a 21-10 lead.  DeSales fought back scoring eight of the next nine points to trail 22-18 but couldn't finish off the comeback falling, 25-20.
 
The Devils kept the momentum going taking a 7-0 lead in the fourth set and continued to lead 18-12 late in the set.  The Bulldogs rallied once again scoring 10 of the next 11 points to take a 22-19 lead and finished off the comeback on kills by freshman Gabby Savite' and junior Jess Swanson to win 25-21.
 
In the fifth set FDU went up 3-0 before DSU took a 7-6 lead.  With the score tied at eight, a Swanson kill and a Devil attack error made it 10-8 forcing an FDU timeout.  The Devils' scored the next point to pull within one before the Bulldogs scored five straight points to win 15-9 on a kill from sophomore Logan Wieziolowski.
 
Savite' led the attack with 24 kills, 18 digs, and two blocks.  Swanson added 12 kills, while Wieziolowski and senior Kait Anderson each had nine kills.  Freshman Taylor Antoniewicz had seven kills and hit .462 and Wieziolowski led the defensive block with six.
 
Junior Lisa Wallitsch was once again outstanding at the setter position dishing out 59 assists, recording 11 digs, and totaling three blocks, while freshman Natalie Gray finished with 22 digs and sophomore Bernadette Wood added 17 digs.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action this weekend when they host Neumann University and Stockton University in a tri-match beginning at 10:00 am.