Maritime College Athletics

NEWARK, N.J. – The Maritime Volleyball team played a pair of matches at the Golden Dome Arena in Newark, N.J. on Saturday against the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raptors and the Baruch Bearcats, dropping both matches in straight sets.
 
On the day, junior Carly Lombardo (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) combined for 12 kills on the day, while sophomore Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) ended the day with 10 more kills. Junior Erika Bailey (Newark Valley, N.Y./Tioga Central) picked up 28 assists during the two matches, while leading the team with four service aces on the day.
 
Defensively, freshman Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) registered six blocks on the day, while Lombardo was second on the day with a pair. Brady recorded a team-best 23 digs, with Lombardo adding 17, while Bailey and freshman Catherine Pfundstein (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) collected 16 each.
 
In the opener, Maritime matched up with the host Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers-Newark. The hosts jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead before Hayes and Lombardo picked up one kill apiece. The Scarlet Raptors continued to keep the Privateers at an arm's length to hold on for the 25-14 lead.
 
In the second set, the Privateers took an early 4-0 lead with a service ace by Bailey highlighting the series. Rutgers-Newark then stormed back with a lengthy run to take an 18-8 advantage. The Privateers scored three of the next four points in the set, but Rutgers-Newark was able to close out the period with a 25-16 score.
 
Maritime took another early lead with four straight and nine of the first 10 points in the set to take a 9-1 lead as Lombardo led the charge with a pair of kills. Rutgers-Newark chipped away at the lead and eventually took a 13-12 lead. The Scarlet Raptors did not relinquish the lead as Rutgers-Newark ended with a 25-19 win to sweep the match by a 3-0 victory.
 
In the second matchup of the day, the Privateers battled the Bearcats of Baruch and in the opening set went head-to-head through the early going of the period. Baruch took a 20-19 lead with both sides exchanging the lead back-and-forth. Maritime stayed with Baruch through the 22-21 score, but the Bearcats ended with the final three points of the set for the 25-21 victory.
 
Baruch controlled much of the play in the second set, and emerged with a 25-12 set victory to take a commanding two sets to none lead.
 
In the third set, Baruch again jumped out to an early lead at 9-3. The Privateers got a pair of points to cut the lead down to 10-5, and held onto its five-point lead through the 16-11 score. Maritime responded with a kill from Lombardo and senior Meghan Burke (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) before a service ace from Lombardo and a pair of attacking errors gave the Privateers a 17-16 edge.
 
With the score tied at 18, Brady got the kill to put Maritime ahead by a 19-18 score, followed by a pair of attacking errors to give the Privateers a 21-18 lead. Momentum swung back in favor of the Bearcats; with Baruch taking a 23-21 lead after five straight points. Hayes collected a kill, but the Bearcats collected the final two points of the set to finish of the match with a 25-22 score in the final set.
 
Burke led the team in the match with six kills, while Lombardo and Hayes each collected five apiece. In the match, junior Alyssa Esposito (Farmingdale, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) also recorded a season-best eight digs against the Bearcats.
 
Maritime (11-9, 4-2 Skyline) will resume play again on Wednesday evening when the team plays host to Medgar Evers for a 7 p.m. start against the Cougars.
 
Rutgers-Newark (10-8, 1-3 NJAC) will host Montclair State on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in its next match. Baruch (11-15, 4-0 CUNYAC) will faceoff with league foes Staten Island and Hunter on Monday afternoon, on the campus of Brooklyn College.