Gophers Nearly End Lengthy Skid Against Seahawks

Bulldogs Prevail in Three Sets, Even Season Series at 1-1

ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – Goucher was a point away from ending a 17-match losing streak to St. Mary's (Md.) today only to have the Seahawks rally to pin a 3-2 setback on the Gophers, who then had to come right back and face DeSales, which was looking to avenge a 3-2 loss to head coach Michael Bossom's squad earlier this season.

This time the Bulldogs came out on top, 3-0. Set scores were 25-15, 25-20, 25-17.

In the first match, the Gophers twice came back from being a set down and were tied at 13-13 in the decisive fifth set when a service error by the Seahawks (6-4) had Goucher serving for the match. But instead of earning a point that would allow them to defeat St. Mary's (Md.) for the first time since 1997, the Gophers watched the Seahawks score the next three points – the first two on kills by Gena Hlavinka and the third on a kill by Sarah Gregorini – to complete a 25-22, 24-26, 25-17, 19-25, 16-14 victory.

Claire Sauvage-Mar (New Delhi, India/American Embassy School) was credited with a season-high 43 assists in the five-set match. Megan Smith (Honolulu, Hawaii/Long Beach Polytechnic) and Kasey Quinn (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) benefitted the most from Sauvage-Mar's setting ability as they supplied the Gophers with 21 and 11 kills, respectively.

Smith also led Goucher in digs (24).

During the three-set match against DeSales (5-5), the Gophers (6-4) were guilty of 19 hitting errors, eight service errors, five reception errors and three blocking errors. Smith finished with 13 kills.