THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime volleyball team returned home to square off against the King's (NY) inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium and made quick work of the Lions in three sets.
 
The Privateers knocked off the Lions by the scores of 25-16, 25-19, and 25-16 to pick up the win as the Privateers are now 9-0 in sets inside Riesenberg Hall.
 
Maritime was led by senior Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point), who had 12 kills on the night and was joined by fellow senior Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and junior Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) with eight kills apiece on the night.
 
Freshman Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence) led the Privateers with both 21 assists and four service aces, with Kempski second on the team with three aces. Defensively the team was also led by Kempski with nine digs on the night, while Brady added seven with both Kirchner and junior Colleen Ireland (Hyde Park, N.Y./Mount Olive (N.J.)) adding five digs apiece.
 
Maritime opened the match with a 5-1 run, headlined by two kills from Hayes and one from Brady. The Privateers went on a 6-1 rally as Kempski recorded two of the team's six points to give Maritime an 11-4 advantage. After two points from King's the Privateers rolled out five unanswered points including three aces from Kempski to give Maritime a 10-point lead.
 
The Privateers led 21-9 but the Lions scored seven of the next nine points in the set to close the gap to 23-16. Kempski and freshman Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) recorded the final two kills to give Maritime the first set win.
 
In the second set the Privateers took another early lead at 6-2, which dissipated to 6-5 after three unanswered points from King's. Maritime wrestled back control of the set with five straight points to turn a 10-10 tie into a 15-10 lead. Brady added two more kills and another from Kempski to give Maritime a 20-12 lead. The Privateers were finally able to put the set away as Hayes notched a kill to end the Lion rally and give Maritime the 25-19 set win.
 
Three points from King's opened up the third set but the Privateers rallied with two kills from Brady and a service ace along with several King's miscues to make the score 12-4 in favor of Maritime. The Lions refused to go down without a fight and drew within four at 17-13 before Maritime went on a 4-0 run highlighted by a pair of kills from Brady.
 
The two sides exchanged points before Hayes got a kill and then a service ace to give the Privateers match point. After a quick point from King's, the Privateers won the match on an attacking error by the Lions to seal the victory.
 
Maritime (4-1) will be on the road tomorrow evening, when the team heads to John Jay for a 7 p.m. start against the Bloodhounds in Midtown Manhattan.