NORTH CANTON, Ohio – In a rivalry match on Saturday, the Malone University volleyball team was swept by the Walsh University Cavaliers. The Pioneers fall to 3-9 on the year and are 1-2 inside the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Walsh moves to 6-5 and 2-1 in conference action.
 
The first seven points of the match went to the Cavaliers and that led to a 25-14 set one win for the opponents. Mallory Meinen and Brianne Salinas led a 6-0 run to cut into the deficit, but Walsh would go for 11 consecutive points to claim a 21-8 advantage. Nine errors by Malone in the first thwarted a comeback effort.
 
Gabby Pelfrey orchestrated a better offense in the second set, but once again the Cavaliers were able to pull away to a victory, this time by a score of 25-16. The Pioneers had a match-high 10 kills in the second, but could not break through to take the lead in the middle stages of the set.
 
Malone fought hard until the end and the third set was the closest of the afternoon. Walsh led 9-1 to start the third, but Annika Nichols helped spark a rally and an ace by Macy McCauley brought them to within three at 13-10. Five straight points by the home squad gave the Cavaliers some breathing room and they would claim the set 25-20 and the match, 3-0.
 
Salinas had six kills and three blocks to lead the team. The Pioneers had seven blocks compared to three for Walsh. McCauley had 15 digs from the back row.
 
After nearly one month away, Malone returns home on Tuesday, October 1 against Ursuline College. That match begins at 7:00 P.M. and the theme is Hawaiian.