THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime volleyball team opened Skyline Conference play on Thursday evening and swept by the Yeshiva Maccabees by the score of 3-0 inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium.
 
The Privateers needed just 51 minutes to knock off the Maccabees as the Privateers won by the scores of 25-6, 25-8 and 25-7.
 
Leading the charge for the Privateers was senior Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point), who tied her own program record with 22 kills on the match. Brady previously set the career mark as a freshman in 2014, when she scored 22 kills against Mass. Maritime on September 20. Brady also added a season-high 12 digs and had her first assist on the year as well.
 
Junior Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) had seven kills and senior Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) picked up five kills to lead the offensive attack, while junior Colleen Ireland (Hyde Park, N.Y./Mount Olive (N.J.)) recorded four kills on the night.
 
Freshman Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence) had a season-high 32 assists and added a season-best seven aces to lead the team. Brady and freshman Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) were tied for second on the squad with five service aces, while Kempski notched three aces.
 
Leading the defensive effort was freshman Abby Solomos (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai), who had 14 digs on the night and also picked up one service ace. Brady was second on the team with 12 digs and Kempski was third with nine. Kirchner dug out six balls, while Steele had two digs on the night.
 
As a team, Maritime dominated the night with 40 kills to Yeshiva's eight, the 40 kills is tied for the third highest in a match for the Privateers in one contest.
 
In the first set Maritime took an early 4-0 lead, which went to 8-1 before it was 10-3. The Privateers rolled off nine unanswered points with Kirchner serving as she picked up five aces along the way to go along with kills from Brady and Kempski. After two points by the Maccabees, the Privateers closed out the set on a 6-1 run, with Brady recording four of the six points on kills.
 
The Privateers stormed out of the gates again in the second set with an early 9-2 advantage. After Yeshiva scored a point to make the score 11-5, Maritime went on another 9-0 rally which included three kills apiece from Brady and Hayes. Yeshiva scored the next two points before Maritime finished off the set on a 5-1 run with Brady collecting the service ace to cap off the set.
 
Finally in the third set, Maritime closed out the match with a 25-7 score. Maritime opened the stanza with a match-best 10-straight points behind the service of Kirchner, who tallied six service aces to go along with four kills from Brady along the way. After a Yeshiva point, Maritime scored the next four with a pair of aces from Brady, and a kill from junior Isabella Kent (Narrowsburg, N.Y./Sullivan West). With Maritime leading 18-6, the Privateers closed out the set on a 7-1 run as Brady, Ireland and Hayes notched the final three points for Maritime with kills.
 
Maritime (5-2, 1-0 Skyline) heads into this weekend's Maritime Classic with five wins under its belt. The Privateers open the classic with host Maine Maritime at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, before taking on Merchant Marine in a non-conference match at 8 p.m.
 
Yeshiva (1-5, 1-4 Skyline) will return for a home match at Baruch College as the Maccabees will take on non-conference Culinary Institute of America on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.