Center Valley, PA (September 2, 2016) – The DeSales University volleyball team opened the 2016 season with two comfortable wins over Gwynedd-Mercy University (3-0) and Rutgers-Camden (3-0) in day one of its home invitational on Friday evening.
 
Match #1 DeSales – 3, Gwynedd-Mercy – 0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-8)
The Bulldogs hit .333 as a team, had nine service aces, and recorded 8.5 team blocks in the win.  Freshman Morghan Shoemaker led the charge with 10 kills, hitting .692, and three blocks.  Sophomore Gabby Savite` added nine kills and three blocks and sophomore Taylor Antoniewicz finished with five blocks in the win.
 
Senior Lisa Wallitsch added 27 assists and totaled 10 digs, while sophomore Natalie Gray had 12 digs on defense.
 
Match #2 DeSales – 3, Rutgers-Camden – 0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-8)
DeSales improved its hitting percentage from match #1 hitting .346 with 11 aces and seven team blocks in the win over Camden.  Savite` led the charge this time with 12 kills and 12 digs.
 
Shoemaker finished with seven kills and three blocks, while both Antoniewicz and Wallitsch (30 assists) had four blocks.  Senior Jess Swanson had five kills in just two sets of play, while Gray led the way with 13 digs and freshman Cristal Fernandez had 10 digs in the win.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow when they take on Washington College (MD) and Baruch College on day two of the tournament.