NEWBURGH, NY – After playing three straight at home, the Maritime College volleyball team was back on the road Tuesday night for a Skyline Conference showdown with Mount St. Mary.  The Privateers (7-11, 3-5 Skyline) won the first set, but ultimately fell to the Knights (3-17, 3-2 Skyline) by a score of 24-26, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 at the Kaplan Center.

There were seven ties in the first set.  Maritime opened up a 10-6 advantage on an Erica Pagano (Lawrence, NY) service ace before the Knights rallied to even the score at 14-14.  After the Privateers regained a 22-17 edge, Mount St. Mary claimed the next three points to get back within two, 22-20.  Maritime reached set point at 24-20, but the Knights responded with four straight to force a 24-24 deadlock.  A kill by Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) gave the Privateers their fifth set point opportunity, then Pagano smashed a kill to finish off the stanza, 26-24.

It was more of the same in a second set that featured eight ties and five lead changes. Leading 11-10, Mount St. Mary went on a 5-0 run to extend the margin to six points, 16-10.  Maritime countered with a 10-3 spurt, though, to get back within one, 20-19.  However, the Knights closed the frame by taking five of the final seven points to secure a 25-21 win and level the match at one set apiece.

Mount St. Mary jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the second set before Maritime rallied to go in front, 9-8.  The Knights responded with a 7-2 run to pull ahead, 15-11, but the Privateers claimed the next three points to trim their deficit to 15-14.  Mount St. Mary used a 6-2 spurt to push the margin back to five points, 21-16, and the Knights captured the set by a 25-20 count.

In the fourth set, the Knights again built an early cushion, going ahead 6-3.  Mount St. Mary increased the margin to 18-10 before four straight Maritime points got the Privateers back within four, 18-14.  After the Knights regained a six-point edge at 21-15, Maritime rattled off six of the next seven points to trim its deficit to one, 22-21.  The teams traded points the rest of the way, however, giving Mount St. Mary a 25-23 set win that clinched the match, 3-1.

Jessica Mele (Southold, NY) recorded her fourth double-double this season and second in three matches with 17 kills and 18 digs.  Pavarini had a double-double of her own with 23 assists and 19 digs.  Pagano finished with 17 digs, six kills and two aces, while Victoria Cordero (Bronx, NY) tallied 16 digs to go along with five assists.  As a team, the Privateers hit .133 (35 kills, 18 errors, 128) and outdug the Knights 81-69.

Jonaiya Williams paced Mount St. Mary with 21 kills.  She added eight digs.  Vanessa Mleczko contributed five aces and a match-high 19 digs, while Erin Lema registered nine kills, eight digs and five aces.  Aubriana Boyce and Allie Kenney each posted a double-double for the Knights.  Boyce finished with 23 assists and 11 digs, and Kenney notched 14 assists and 10 digs.

The Privateers return to Riesenberg Gymnasium for their final home match of the season on Thursday night.  Maritime hosts Farmingdale (8-10, 6-2 Skyline) at 7 p.m., and the program will honor its graduating seniors prior to the contest.