CASTINE, Maine – The Maritime volleyball team opened up the 2017 Maritime Classic with a pair of losses on Saturday evening. The Privateers fell to the host Maine Maritime Mariners in four sets, before dropping three straight sets to Merchant Marine in the night matchup.
 
Maritime was tripped up by Maine Maritime by the scores of 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, and 12-25, while Merchant Marine scored 14-25, 14-25, 12-25 wins over the Privateers.
 
Through the team's seven sets, seniors Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) and Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) led Maritime. Brady had a team-best 18 kills, while Kempski was also in double figures with 13 kills. As a team the Privateers combined for just six service aces with two each coming from junior Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy), and freshmen Abby Solomos (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) and Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence).
 
Kempski and Solomos led the defensive effort with 14 digs apiece, with rookie Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) contributing with 10 digs. Kircher added nine digs and also led the team with 33 assists. Hayes had three blocks, while Kempski picked up one block on the day.
 
Maritime vs. Maine Maritime
In the opener Brady recorded 12 of her 18 kills, while Kirchner grabbed 23 of her 33 assists on the day. Solomos had two service aces, with Kempski picking up 10 digs and five kills.
 
The Mariners won the opening two sets by the score of 21-25, and 19-25 as the Privateers kept it close with Maine Maritime throughout the sets. The Privateers inched out the third set by a 25-22 score but fell in the fourth by a 12-25 margin.
 
This was this third straight season that the two sides have gone to four sets, with Maine Maritime winning all three by identical scores of 3-1.
 
Maritime vs. Merchant Marine
Despite the break between the two matches the Privateers were unable to recover against Merchant Marine falling by scores of 14-25, 14-25, and 12-25.
 
Kempski led the Privateer effort with eight kills as Brady added six. Kirchner had 10 assists and led the team with just two aces. Solomos had nine digs, with Kirchner adding six. Four other Privateers had at least three digs in the match.
 
The Privateers will meet the Mariners once again later this season in a Skyline Conference matchup as part of a tri-match with the Farmingdale Rams on Saturday, October 21.
 
Up Next
Maritime plays Mass. Maritime at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday to wrap-up this year's Maritime Classic and return to New York. Next season the Privateers will host the Maritime Classic inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium.