THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime Volleyball team split its Skyline Conference-opening tri-match on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Yeshiva Maccabees by a 3-0 score, before falling to St. Joseph's (LI) in straight sets to close out the afternoon.
 
Maritime was led by junior Carly Lombardo with 16 kills on the afternoon, followed by freshman Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) with 10. Sophomore Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) added eight, and classmate Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) recorded seven kills.

Junior Erika Bailey led the team with 43 assists, while she finished tied for the team lead in service aces with Hayes, as both conrtributed with six aces apiece.

Defensively, Lombardo led the way with 14 digs, while senior Charlotte Acklin (Lewes, Del./West Broward (Fla.)) was second on the team with 11 digs. Bailey, Hayes and Lombardo each had a block on the day.
 
In the opener, the Privateers controlled the entirety of the first set, yielding just two kills to Yeshiva. Maritime jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead as Bailey picked up two service aces for the Privateers. As the set continued the team rolled to a 25-3 win as Lombardo and Kempski both recorded three kills while freshman Isabella Kent (Narrowsburg, N.Y./Sullivan West) added two of her own.
 
In the second set, Lombardo added an additional three kills, while senior Meghan Burke (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) highlighted the set with two kills and four service aces on the set. Acklin added a pair of service aces, while junior Irene Gogos (Jackson Heights, N.Y./Aviation) led the team with five digs in the set.
 
In the third set, Lombardo and Hayes led the team with four kills on the set as the final score was 25-22 in the final set. Maritime jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead with freshman Catherine Pfundstein (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) serving but Yeshiva ended the rally with an error by the Privateers.
 
After the set with tied at five, Maritime took a 7-5 lead with a kill from Kent and Bailey. Yeshiva then answered with four-straight to take the lead 9-7. The Privateers responded with another four points as senior Colleen Sheehy (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) and Acklin picked up kills.
 
The set continued with Maritime working up a 19-12 advantage as the Privateers got kills from Acklin, Hayes, Lombardo and Bailey. In the stretch, Bailey also picked up a pair of service aces during the extended run.

Yeshiva closed the gap and made the score 22-20, but a Maccabee error gave service back to Maritime. The final point of the match came as Burke collected a kill to give the Privateers a straight-set victory.
 
Against St. Joseph's (LI) in the second match, the Privateers put forth a valiant effort with 17 points in each of the first two sets, before dropping the third set by a 25-13 score in the straight-set defeat.
 
After falling behind the Golden Eagles by a 5-3 score in the first set, the Privateers stormed back with five unanswered points to take an 8-5 lead on a pair of kills by Brady, and a service ace from Hayes. Then St. Joseph's put together a strong stretch of volleyball through the remainder of the set and closed it out 25-17.
 
In the second set, Maritime dropped seven of the first nine points scored. Afterwards, a service error and a Kempski kill pulled Maritime back within three. St. Joseph's followed with three more points but the Privateers responded once again with five straight points with two coming on service aces by Bailey.
 
The second stanza saw St. Joseph's outscore Maritime by a 15-8 margin to take the third set. The Privateers fell behind early in the third by a score of 13-2, and it was too deep of a hole to come back from as St. Joseph's cruised to the third set win by a 25-13 score.
 
Maritime (4-6, 1-1 Skyline) will return to play on Tuesday evening, when the team plays as the road team inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium against the John Jay Bloodhounds, who will serve as the home squad.

Yeshiva (1-5, 0-2 Skyline) will battle in a tri-match against Culinary Institute and Pratt Institute at Baruch College after the holiday season on Sunday, October 11.

St. Joseph's (LI) (6-7, 2-0 Skyline) will return home next Saturday, when the team takes on Lehman and Manhattanville in a tri-match beginning at 12 p.m. from the Danzi Athletic Center.