THROGGS NECK, NY – On Saturday, the Maritime College volleyball team concluded its four-match homestand with a pair of contests at Riesenberg Gymnasium.  The Privateers (2-7) fell to Sarah Lawrence (10-5) by a 25-14, 25-19, 25-16 count before dropping a 25-11, 25-17, 22-25, 25-17 decision to Baruch (12-6) later in the day.

In Maritime's first match of the day, the Privateers took on conference rival Sarah Lawrence in a non-conference tilt.  The first set was tied three times early on until the Gryphons went on a 5-1 run to open up a 9-5 lead.  Maritime rattled off three of the next four points to make it 10-8, but Sarah Lawrence responded with 12 of the next 14 to increase its advantage to 22-10.  The Gryphons took the opening frame by a 25-14 count.

After Sarah Lawrence built a 15-6 advantage in set two, Maritime began chipping away, eventually getting within 17-11 on a kill by Erica Pagano (Lawrence, NY).  The Gryphons pushed the margin back to nine points at 21-12 before the Privateers used a 6-1 spurt to trim their deficit to four, 22-18.  Maritime would get no closer, though, as Sarah Lawrence wrapped up the set, 25-19, to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

There were four ties and three lead changes early in the third set until Sarah Lawrence used a 6-0 run to go up 11-6.  Maritime scored the next four points, including three straight Carolina Bersani (Bronx, NY) service aces to cut the Gryphons' advantage to one, 11-10.  However, Sarah Lawrence countered with a 7-1 spurt to regain a seven-point lead, 18-11, and the Gryphons closed out the 3-0 sweep with a 25-16 set win.

Pagano had five kills and seven digs to lead the Privateers.  Celyna Custodio (Danbury, CT) added four kills, while Victoria Cordero (Bronx, NY) notched seven digs.  Brooke Kirchner (Lawrence, NY) finished with 13 assists and five digs.

For the Gryphons, Skyler Kawecki-Muonio registered a match-high 10 kills and Claire Mitchell contributed eight kills.  Davis Mathis tallied 15 digs, while Kaille Ferguson added 13 digs.  Mia Rector handed out 24 assists for Sarah Lawrence, which hit .172 (33 kills, 18 errors, 87 attempts) as a team.

Baruch scored the first four points of Maritime's second match before the Privateers rallied to take a 6-5 lead.  The Bearcats claimed the next six points, however, to build an 11-6 cushion en route to a 25-11 set win.

Set two got off to a similar start, as Maritime captured the first two points, but Baruch countered with an 8-1 run to go ahead 8-3.  After the Bearcats extended the margin to 19-11, the Privateers went on a 5-1 spurt to pull within four at 20-16.  Baruch won four of the next five points, though, to finish off the set, 25-17, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Privateers began the third set with a Kircher ace, followed by kills from Pagano and Bersani.  Baruch rallied to tie the score at 4-4, then opened up an 11-8 lead.  Maritime forced a 12-12 deadlock before the Bearcats went on a 4-0 run to again go up by four, 16-12.  The Privateers again stormed back, however, pulling ahead 18-17 on a Kirchner kill.  It was all knotted up again at 21-21 when Pagano and Custodio smacked back-to-back kills for Maritime.  The Privateers also took the next point to earn their first set point, and Maritime extended the match with a 25-22 set win.

That momentum carried into the fourth set, as the Privateers again built an early 3-0 advantage.  The teams traded runs early in the stanza, which featured eight ties and three lead changes.  With the score even at 14-14, though, Baruch went on a 10-2 rally to reach match point.  The Bearcats closed out the frame, 25-17, to earn the 3-1 match victory.

Custodio notched her first double-double of the season for the Privateers, finishing with 12 kills and 11 digs.  Pagano recorded a double-double of her own with 10 kills and 12 digs, while Kirchner had 19 assists to go along with eight digs and three aces.  Cordero contributed a team-best 13 digs for Maritime.

Julia Perkowski registered 14 kills and six blocks for Baruch.  Anesa Feratovic tallied nine kills and 11 digs, while Amina Muminovic collected 28 assists and nine digs to go along with five aces.  The Bearcats hit .214 (39-17-103) as a team and served 13 aces.

Maritime (1-3 Skyline) resumes Skyline Conference play on Monday with a 7 p.m. matchup at St. Joseph's Brooklyn (3-7, 2-1 Skyline).  It will be the Privateers' only road contest in a seven-match span.