THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College volleyball team concluded its home schedule by welcoming Farmingdale to Riesenberg Gymnasium on Thursday night.  After honoring their five graduating seniors—Carolina Bersani (Bronx, NY), Kateann Hennenberger (Garden City, NY), Kelly Kuhn (Lansdale, PA), Jessica Mele (Southold, NY) and Diana Rodriguez (Queens, NY)—the Privateers (7-12, 3-6 Skyline) fell to the Rams (9-10, 7-2 Skyline) by a score of 25-15, 25-13, 25-16.

Farmingdale used an 11-0 rally to open up a 12-2 lead in the first set.  After the Rams extended the margin to 19-7, Erica Pagano (Lawrence, NY) ripped a kill to start a 5-2 Maritime run that brought the Privateers within 21-12.  However, Farmingdale scored the next three points to go up 24-12, and the Rams took the opening set by a 25-15 count.

After Farmingdale built an early 7-1 cushion in the second set, Maritime rattled off five of the next six points to trim its deficit to two, 8-6.  The Rams responded with a 13-3 spurt, though, to increase their advantage to 21-9.  The Privateers got back within 22-13 before Farmingdale closed out the set, 25-13, to go up 2-0 in the match.

Pagano started the third set with a service ace, but Farmingdale captured six of the next seven points to take a 6-2 lead.  Maritime countered with a 3-1 rally to make it 7-5 before the Rams opened up a 17-11 advantage.  Farmingdale clinched the straight-sets victory by earning a 25-16 third-set win.

Mele finished with seven kills and seven digs in her final home match.  Pagano had a team-high eight digs to go along with two aces, while Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) recorded 10 assists and seven digs.  Rodriguez, meanwhile, posted five digs and two blocks.

For the Rams, Kalena Ricketts tallied 18 kills on .417 hitting. Mikayla Profeta hit .300 with 10 kills, and she added three aces.  Doly DeJesus served seven of Farmingdale's 14 aces, while Sarah Rende posted 29 assists and eight digs.  Lana Ventura contributed a match-high 10 digs for the Rams, who held a 41-31 edge in that category.

Maritime's last three matches of the season are all on the road.  The Privateers wrap up non-conference play on Sunday with a 2 p.m. visit to Centenary (8-6).