ST. MARY’S CITY — St. Mary’s College of Maryland locked up its place in the postseason without dropping a set. The Seahawks swept Notre Dame of Maryland 25-14, 25-13, 25-12 on Tuesday at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center Arena, clinching a spot in the United East Conference playoffs.
The win was St. Mary’s 10th in a row. It lifted the Seahawks to 17-5 overall and kept them perfect in league play at 7-0. Notre Dame fell to 7-14 overall and 1-6 in the United East.
The sweep came three days after St. Mary’s swept Keystone and Averett in a home tri-match. It extends a run of straight-set league wins that included Penn State Brandywine and Wilson.
Serving set the tone
St. Mary’s served 13 aces to Notre Dame’s three and never let the visitors settle into a rhythm. The Seahawks hit .333 on 39 kills and 11 errors in 84 swings, while Notre Dame managed a .038 hitting percentage with 21 kills and 18 errors.
Sophomore middle blocker Sanaa Porter led the attack with nine kills on 15 swings, hitting .467, and added three blocks. Fifth-year outside hitter Julia Bobrowski, a Leonardtown High School graduate from California, Md., added eight kills on a .533 clip and a team-high four aces.
Sophomore Erianna Mendieta and junior Maya Mauro each had seven kills. Mendieta also posted two blocks, while Mauro chipped in six digs and an ace.
The Seahawks split setting duties. Senior Camilla Galeano had 18 assists and six digs, and senior Lauren Panageotou had 13 assists, three aces and four digs. Junior defensive specialist Stella Marrero led the back row with 10 digs and added three assists.
By the numbers
| Stat | St. Mary’s | Notre Dame |
|---|---|---|
| Kills | 39 | 21 |
| Errors | 11 | 18 |
| Total attempts | 84 | 79 |
| Hitting pct. | .333 | .038 |
| Assists | 37 | 20 |
| Aces | 13 | 3 |
| Blocks | 6 | 5 |
| Points | 58 | 29 |
St. Mary’s individual leaders:
- Sanaa Porter (Toano, Va./Warhill): 9 kills, .467, 3 blocks
- Julia Bobrowski (California, Md./Leonardtown): 8 kills, .533, 4 aces, 1 block
- Erianna Mendieta (Toano, Va./Warhill): 7 kills, 2 blocks
- Maya Mauro (Severna Park, Md./Archbishop Spalding): 7 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace, 1 block
- Camilla Galeano (Germantown, Md./Damascus): 18 assists, 6 digs
- Lauren Panageotou (Baltimore/Mercy): 13 assists, 3 aces, 4 digs
- Stella Marrero (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Christian Life): 10 digs, 3 assists
- Camryn Sapp (Hampstead, Md./Hereford): 2 assists
The full box score is on the SMCM Athletics website, along with the college’s official recap.
Up next
St. Mary’s turns around quickly with a nonconference match at Goucher College on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in Towson. With its playoff place secure, the Seahawks’ remaining United East matches will decide their seeding for the conference tournament.
