THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime volleyball team is back in the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons and for the second time under head coach Michele Murray. The Privateers travel to Long Island for their first round matchup against the third seed St. Joseph's (LI) Golden Eagles at 7 p.m. from the Danzi Athletic Center.
 
Murray becomes the first coach of a women's sport at Maritime to guide a team to more than one postseason appearance as the Privateers finished the regular season with a 4-6 record in Skyline play. Maritime was tied with both St. Joseph's (Bklyn) and Sarah Lawrence for the 6th and final playoff spot, but were ultimately determined the final playoff seed by way of tiebreakers against the Bears and Gryphons.
 
Maritime will be one of four teams competing on Tuesday as the Privateers travel to St. Joseph's (LI) for a 7 p.m. start on Long Island. The other first round matchup will feature fourth seed Mount St. Vincent hosing the fifth seed Mount St. Mary at 7 p.m. in Bronxville. The winner of Maritime/St. Joseph's (LI) heads to Merchant Marine on Thursday evening, while the Mount St. Vincent/Mount St. Mary winner advances to top-seeded Farmingdale on Thursday. The last two teams remaining on Thursday will advance to the league championship on Saturday afternoon.
 
Scouting the #6 Maritime Privateers
Maritime averaged 8.80 kills per set as the team scored 722 total kills as a unit. Led by senior Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point), who recorded 240 kills and had a .220 attacking percentage from the outside. Junior middle blocker Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) was second on the team with 156 kills and averaged 2.14 kills per set.
 
Senior Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) was the only other Privateer to average more than two kills per set with a 2.11, but will be unable to compete due to an injury suffered on October 14. Freshman Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) and junior Isabella Kent (Narrowsburg, N.Y./Sullivan West) have stepped up while filling in for Kempski, as Steele finished the season with just over 100 kills at 103, while Kent stepped into the starting lineup at the outside hitter position.
 
Handing the ball off to the Maritime hitters was freshman Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence), who put together the third highest assist total in a single season at Maritime with 567 through the first 25 matches of the season.
 
Kirchner was also amongst the team leaders in terms of serving as she finished the season second on the team with 38 aces, just five behind Brady who led the team with 43. Steele was tied with Kempski for third on the team with 37 aces apiece.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Hayes was a dominant force in the middle with 24 blocks including 15 solo blocks. Junior Colleen Ireland (Hyde Park, N.Y./Mount Olive (N.J.)) picked up the pace late in the season and got in a groove late as she finished the season with 11 blocks, including five in the last four matches for Maritime.
 
Freshman Abby Solomos (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) emerged as the team's libero this season and led the squad with 238 digs, which was just over three digs per set on the season. Brady was second on the team with 215 digs, while Kempski was third with 171, while Steele and Kirchner both registered over 100 digs on the year. Senior Rachel Rothstein (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) served as a defensive specialist this year and was a key part of Maritime's rotation late in the season.
 
Scouting the #1 Farmingdale Rams
Farmingdale finished the regular season with 20 wins against seven losses overall including a 10-0 mark in Skyline Conference play. The Rams swept the Privateers in three sets to close out the regular season for Maritime on the 21st of October.
 
Sophomore Julia Hande led the Rams with 274 kills and also had 60 service aces, 319 digs and also recorded 37 blocks and was amongst the league leaders in all statistical categories. Senior middle blocker Maia Cadle-Hinton had 100 blocks and was a defensive force for the Rams, while senior Stephanie Etersque was tied with Hande with 319 digs.
 
Scouting the #2 Merchant Marine Mariners
Merchant Marine finished the season as the second seed by way of a three-way tiebreaker with St. Joseph's (LI) and Mount St. Vincent as all three teams finished with an 8-2 record in league play. The Mariners beat Maritime twice this season, including in the conference matchup on October 21 in straight sets.
 
Senior Dominique Pope and junior Kate Lefler were both amongst the team leaders with over 220 kills apiece, averaging over three kills per set. Sophomore Kyleigh Kappas was the team's setter and was third in the conference with 589 assists. Pope led the team with 49 aces, while senior Tichina Carmon led the team with 52 blocks.
 
Scouting the #3 St. Joseph's (LI) Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles host the Privateers to open postseason play on Tuesday, after finishing the year with an 8-2 conference record. St. Joseph's swept the Privateers in straight sets on October 15 inside the Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium on Maritime's campus.
 
St. Joseph's was led by a pair of seniors, who both recorded over 150 kills as Morgan Tiska had a team-high 203, while classmate Clair Urizzo was 20 off the pace at 183. The Golden Eagles split time at setter with senior Jessica Monteserrato ultimately picking up more assists at 403, while freshman Brionna Silva had 290 in her rookie season. Juniors Kristen Bohnenblusch and junior Danielle Senecal each had 39 and 38 aces respectively, while freshman Jessica Young had 45 blocks to lead the squad.
 
Scouting the #4 Mount St. Vincent Dolphins
The Dolphins return to postseason play with an 8-2 mark in league play and fell to the fourth seed by way of tiebreakers with Merchant Marine and St. Joseph's (LI). Mount St. Vincent swept Maritime at home in Riverdale earlier in the conference schedule on September 26.
 
As sophomore Tara Maloney goes, so do the Dolphins as the defending Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year is backing up her freshman season with a strong sophomore campaign with a league-best 371 kills. Senior Nicole Henderson hopes to finish her career with another conference title as she finished second in the league with 690 assists. Henderson also led the team with 55 aces, and was second on the team with 24 blocks while sophomore Dez Brown led the defensive effort with 43 blocks. Maloney and freshman Alexandra Rio led the Dolphins with over 200 digs apiece.
 
Scouting the #5 Mount St. Mary Knights
Mount St. Mary ended league play with a 6-4 record in league play including a win over the Privateers on October 10 on the Throggs Neck Peninsula.
 
The Dolphins had a very balanced attack in the front court with six players with at least 100 kills, led by sophomore middle blocker Morgan Burke (174) and junior middle Nicole Spinelli (162). Senior Kim Gries was arguably the top setter in the league with 727 assists on the season. Spinelli and senior libero Julimar Figueroa let the Knights with over 50 aces apiece on the season, while Figueroa also led the team win digs with a league-leading 396 on the season. Burke and Spinelli also dominated the front court on defense with 50 blocks each on the season.