RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Maritime volleyball team was back in action on Tuesday evening with a Skyline Conference battle against the host Mount St. Vincent Dolphins from the Peter J. Sharp Center. The Privateers fell in straight sets by the scores of 13-25, 21-25, and 16-25.
 
As a team the Privateers recorded just 21 kills on the night with senior Gabrielle Kempski (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) recording a team-best seven. Senior Shannon Brady (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) and junior Meredith Hayes (Houston, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) contributed with six kills apiece. Freshman setter Erika Kirchner (Meadowmere Park, N.Y./Lawrence) had 17 assists with Kempski adding two and freshman Abby Steele (Crossville, Tenn./Stone Memorial) collecting one assist.
 
Hayes led the Privateers with three aces and also led the team with two blocks, Brady and junior Colleen Ireland (Hyde Park, N.Y./Mount Olive (N.J.)) combined on Maritime's third block of the night. Defensively freshman Abby Solomos (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai) contributed with nine digs, while Brady added eight and Kempski notched four. Kirchner collected three digs with Steele adding a pair and Hayes recording one.
 
Maritime started slow out of the gate and fell behind 11-1 in the early-going of the opening set. Maritime took advantage of a trio of Dolphin errors to go along with a kill from Brady to trim the deficit to 12-5. Mount St. Vincent outscored Maritime 13-8 to the finish and took the opening set by a 25-13 score.
 
The second set was closely contested but the Dolphins were able to squeak out the narrow 25-21 win. The Privateers scored the first four points of the set behind kills from Brady and Hayes, but the Dolphins fought back and turned a 7-2 Maritime lead into a 10-9 Dolphin lead. Both sides exchanged the lead before Maritime rattled off six unanswered points to take a 19-13 lead, but couldn't finish off the set as Mount St. Vincent scored 12 of the final 14 points of the set to move ahead two sets to none.
 
The score was even through the first 14 points of the third set with the score tied at seven, but Mount St. Vincent moved ahead on the scoreboard with five of the next six points to take a 12-8 advantage. The Dolphins kept their distance ahead of the Privateers as Maritime was unable to get closer than four points through the remainder of the match as Mount St. Vincent scored the 25-16 set victory.
 
Maritime (6-6, 1-2 Skyline) will return home next Wednesday, when the team continues Skyline Conference play against Purchase at 7 p.m. from the Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium.
 
Mount St. Vincent (6-6, 1-0 Skyline) will travel to take on Merchant Marine on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. from Liebertz Gymnasium.