THROGGS NECK, NY – After playing four straight away from home, the Maritime College volleyball team returned to Riesenberg Gymnasium on Monday night for a Skyline Conference matchup with St. Joseph's Brooklyn. The Privateers (3-7, 1-2 Skyline) lost the first set before winning the next two, but ultimately fell to the Bears (3-2, 1-0 Skyline) by a 25-15, 20-25, 19-25, 26-24, 15-7 count.
The Bears took the first point of the match before Maritime scored the next three. St. Joseph's Brooklyn rattled off 10 of the next 12 points, however, to go up 11-5. After the Bears extended their advantage to 15-7, the Privateers went on a 4-1 run to pull within 16-11. Maritime would get no closer, though, as St. Joseph's Brooklyn won the set, 25-15.
St. Joseph's Brooklyn then built an early 4-1 cushion in the second set.
Jessica Mele (Southold, NY) followed with a kill to start an 8-1 Maritime spurt that gave the Privateers a 9-5 lead. The Bears captured the next three points to make it 9-8 before Maritime rallied to regain a three-point edge, 14-11. After St. Joseph's Brooklyn got within one at 17-16, Maritime responded with three straight points to push the margin back to four, 20-16. The Privateers ended up taking the set, 25-20, to even the match.
Maritime carried its momentum into the third set, notching the first four points and eight of the first nine. St. Joseph's Brooklyn battled all the way back to tie the score at 9-9, then again at 12-12 and 15-15. The Privateers scored the next three points to regain the lead, and Maritime extended that margin to six at 23-17.
Samantha Hart (Brooklyn, NY) served an ace to finish off the set, 25-19, and give the Privateers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five contest.
There were four ties and three lead changes in the fourth set. The Privateers raced out to a 4-0 advantage, but the Bears eventually opened up a 13-8 lead. A Mele kill started an 8-0 Maritime run that put the Privateers in front 16-13 before St. Joseph's Brooklyn rallied to regain a 22-19 edge. After Maritime fought off two set points, the Bears converted on their third opportunity, sending the match into a decisive frame with a 26-24 win.
In the fifth set, St. Joseph's Brooklyn scored seven of the first 10 points. Maritime responded with three of the next four, pulling within 8-6 on
Erica Pagano's (Lawrence, NY) service ace. However, the Bears ended the match on a 7-1 run to close out a 15-7 set win that clinched a 3-2 victory. St. Joseph's Brooklyn hit a combined .438 in the final set, ripping eight kills and committing only one error in 16 attempts.
Mele
had her second double-double of the season with a career-high-tying 18 kills and 14 digs. She also tallied four aces. Pagano
just missed a double-double of her own with nine kills and a career-best 21 digs.
Victoria Cordero (Bronx, NY) finished with 19 digs and four aces, while
Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) distributed 28 assists to go along with eight digs.
Three different Bears recorded a double-double, with Martina Urgo's 12-kill, 13-dig performance leading the way. Autumn Poppett posted 10 kills, 13 digs and four aces, while Rachel Meltsin contributed 33 assists and 13 digs. Mireia Alba notched a match-high 21 digs, and Carol Melo registered 18 digs, as St. Joseph's Brooklyn held an 82-73 edge in that category.
Up next, the Privateers visit Sarah Lawrence (5-4, 2-0 Skyline) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
