FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Maritime volleyball regular season came to a close on Saturday afternoon as the Privateers dropped a pair of Skyline Conference matches to the Merchant Marine Mariners and the host Farmingdale Rams from the Lynch Sports Center on Long Island.
 
The Privateers dropped both matches in straight sets, falling to the Mariners by the scores of 25-17, 25-17, and 25-20. The following match saw Maritime drop three to the Rams by the scores of 25-18, 25-18, and 25-21.
 
On the day senior Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) and junior Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) led the team with 16 kills apiece, while freshman Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) added nine kills on the day. Freshman Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence) had 36 assists on the day, while Brady added a team-high four service aces.
 
Defensively it was freshman Abby Solomos (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) to lead the effort with 25 digs, while Steele was second on the team with 18 digs. Brady added 14 digs on the afternoon, while Kirchner had 10. Junior Colleen Ireland (Hyde Park, N.Y./Mount Olive (N.J.)) led the team with four blocks, with Hayes second on the team with three on the afternoon. Brady and junior Isabella Kent (Narrowsburg, N.Y./Sullivan West) each chipped in with two blocks apiece on the afternoon as well.
 
Maritime vs. Merchant Marine
Meeting for the second time this season, the Privateers meet the Mariners in a Skyline Conference matchup following their non-conference battle in Castine, Maine earlier this season. The Mariners ended up on top again with a straight-set victory.
 
In today's matchup Brady had seven kills to lead the Privateers, with Hayes second on the team with five. Kirchner had 12 of her 35 assists against the Mariners, while Solomos had 16 digs in the match.
 
The Privateers held a slim 5-3 lead in the opening set, before eventually leading by a 7-4 score behind a kill from Brady off a pass from Kirchner. Merchant Marine rattled off seven unanswered points to take an 11-7 lead and did not turn back as they won the set by a 25-17 margin.
 
Merchant Marine rolled ahead by a 9-4 score in the second set but Maritime got four consecutive points including a pair of service aces by Brady. Merchant Marine surged ahead to take a 16-9 lead, which proved to be too much for Maritime to overcome as the Mariners took another set by an eight-point margin.
 
The third set saw both sides exchange early leads as the lead was even at every point through the first 26 points of the set. With Maritime owning service at 13-13, the Privateers put down three points to move ahead 16-13. However Merchant Marine stormed back with eight points to take a 21-16 advantage and eventually closed out the set 25-20.
 
Maritime vs. Farmingdale
As the only team to defeat Farmingdale in 2016 en route to their Skyline Championship a year ago, the Privateers looked to repeat history on Saturday but were unable to as the Rams knocked off the Privateers in three sets.
 
Hayes led the Privateers against the Rams with 11 kills, with Brady adding nine and Steele collecting six kills. Kirchner had 24 assists, while Steele led the effort defensively with 11 digs on the match.
 
The Rams held the advantage through the opening set after taking a 3-0 lead, Farmingdale went on to win by a 25-18 difference to take a 1-0 set lead.
 
Maritime controlled the early tempo in the second set with a 4-2 advantage following kills by Hayes and Brady. Kirchner was credited with a kill after Farmingdale took the lead, as the freshman setter connected to even the score at seven. With the set tied at 16, the Rams scored seven unanswered and took the set by a 25-18 margin.
 
After falling behind 6-1 in the third set Brady connected on a kill to end the Farmingdale run, followed by four unforced errors by Farmingdale to allow the Privateers to even the score at six. Brady's kill at 15-15 gave Maritime a one-point lead, but the Rams fought back to wrestle the lead away for the Privateers and give Farmingdale a 25-21 victory.
 
Maritime ends its regular season with a 10-25 overall record and a 4-6 conference mark. The Privateers will have to await the outcome of the upcoming week's worth of games to determise its postseason fate.