The Muhlenberg volleyball team's Senior Day tilt against Dickinson was its annual "Dig for a Cure" match, a Centennial Conference-wide initiative in which league schools raise money for Tanner's Touch, a foundation that supports pediatric cancer research and families battling the dreaded disease.

One of the ways the teams raise money is by supporters pledging a certain amount of money for every dig accumulated during a pre-selected match. Unfortunately, the Mule hitters did not cooperate with that aspect of the endeavor.

Muhlenberg hit .378, its highest percentage since the first match of the season, and did not give the Red Devils many opportunities to accumulate digs in a 3-0 sweep. The win was the 10th in a row for the Mules (17-2, 4-0), who are off to their best CC start since 1993, the first year of the league's existence.

"It's amazing. We're all really excited," said junior Vanessa Pulice of the streak. "We're really learning how to work together and fight for every game no matter who we're playing against."

Muhlenberg didn't have much fighting to do in the first two sets, winning both rather comfortably by identical 25-18 scores.

They had to dig down in the third set, however, after letting a 17-7 advantage slip away. Dickinson (4-9, 0-3) went on a 12-1 run to take a 19-18 lead. The set was tied at 22 before back-to-back kills by sophomore Allison Glass gave the Mules match point. After a Red Devil kill, junior Joanne Josephson ended the match with her seventh kill in only nine attempts.

Glass (.600 with 12 kills) and junior Katherine Boll(.556 with 12 kills) also hit at high percentages, thanks to the solid setting of Pulice (20 assists) and senior Nikki Dickson (18 assists).

"I think overall our hitters are very diverse," said Pulice. "They do a really good job of seeing the court and knowing where to put the ball. They're very smart on their attacks, and Nikki and I know we can go to any of them."

The win – the ninth without a loss at Memorial Hall this season – ended a long but satisfying day that began with a morning youth clinic, which helped raise money for Tanner's Touch, and continued with Senior Day ceremonies for Dickson, Julia Elkin and Holly Hynson prior to the match.

All three contributed to the sweep, with Hynson recording three kills, two digs and two blocks and Elkin notching seven digs and serving the final point of the second set.

"The seniors are a key part of our success," said Pulice. "All three are great role models. I've been with them three years and they've really helped me adjust to college volleyball.

"They are very positive, encouraging and motivating, and they are definitely contributing to the team feel and how well we're playing together."