A sluggish start didn't prevent the Gannon University women's volleyball team from sweeping rival Mercyhurst University on Friday night.

With their 25-22, 25-14, 25-11 victory at Highmark Events Center, the Golden Knights swept their two regular-season matches against the Erie County rival Lakers. As a result, head coach Matt Darling's team claimed the traveling Land and Sea Trophy for the season.

Gannon upped its record to 17-5 overall and 10-1 in the PSAC West. The Golden Knights moved into a first-place tie with Clarion, which lost 3-0 to California on Friday night.

Mercyhurst dipped to 3-18 overall and 1-11 in the PSAC West.

Gannon entered the match in second place in the PSAC West, and Mercyhurst came into the match in ninth place in the nine-team Western Division. Despite that, the Lakers outplayed the Knights for most of the first set.

Mercyhurst led 21-19 before a kill by Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge), a service ace by Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) and a kill by Madde Blake (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) gave Gannon a 22-21 lead, its first lead of the set. Gannon scored three of the final four points on two attack errors and a service error by Mercyhurst.

A kill by Sophia Glabus (Elmhurst, Ill./York) in the second set gave Gannon a 5-4 lead and triggered a six-point run and made the score 10-4. Gannon cruised the rest of the match.

Blake led Gannon with 11 kills, nine digs, 14 points and three aces.

Glabus had nine kills, including several at key moments. She finished with 10.5 points and a superb .571 hitting percentage.

Freshman setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey) had 29 assists for Gannon.

Darling said he was not concerned about the Clarion loss and the first-place tie because his team is focused on Saturday's match against another Erie County rival, Edinboro. Gannon will host the third-place Fighting Scots (17-6, 7-4) at 2 p.m. at Highmark Events Center.