WINDHAM, CT – On Saturday afternoon, the Maritime College volleyball team rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to post a 25-22, 22-25, 10-25, 25-21, 15-9 victory over Southern Maine (3-11) at Eastern Connecticut State's Francis E. Geissler Gym.  The Privateers (4-10) then fell by a 25-22, 25-8, 25-15 count to the host Warriors (7-4) in their second match of the day.

Against Southern Maine, Maritime raced out to a 5-2 lead in the first set.  After the Huskies rallied to tie the score at 7-7, the Privateers claimed 10 of the next 12 points to open up a 17-9 advantage.  Southern Maine again battled back within one at 21-20, but Maritime ended the set on a 4-2 spurt to secure a 25-22 win.

Southern Maine built a 3-1 cushion early in the second set before Maritime rallied to go up 9-6 on an Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) service ace.  The Privateers still led, 13-11, when the Huskies went on an 8-1 run to take a 17-13 advantage.  Southern Maine evened the match with a 25-22 set win.

After the Huskies opened up an 11-4 lead in the third set, the Privateers went on a 4-2 run to pull within 13-8.  However, Southern Maine scored the next three points to increase the margin to 16-8.  The Huskies won the set, 25-10, to go ahead 2-1 in the match.

In the fourth set, there were eight ties and three lead changes.  Southern Maine built a two-point cushion at 13-11, but Maritime responded with a 5-0 rally that included two Karelys Rolon (Hudson, FL) kills and a pair of Mikaela Thiel (Fort Morgan, CO) aces.  After the Huskies leveled the score at 16-16, the Privateers went on a 5-2 run to take a 21-18 advantage.  A Grace Devaney (Lynbrook, NY) ace brought Maritime to set point, and a Rolon kill forced a fifth set, as the Privateers clinched the frame, 25-21.

With Southern Maine leading 5-4 in the fifth set, Rolon slammed her 11^th kill of the match to start a seven-point spurt for the Privateers.  Maritime opened up a 14-7 lead on a kill by Soraya Hall (Valrico, FL), then Devaney put away a kill to cap the comeback win.  The Privateers took the set by a 15-9 count.  It was Maritime's first five-set victory since a win over Purchase on Oct. 21, 2021.  The Privateers had lost their previous three five-setters.

Rolon posted career-highs of 11 kills and 24 digs for her first collegiate double-double.  She also served three aces.  Hall finished with 10 kills and nine digs, while Pavarini notched eight kills and eight digs to go along with 19 assists.  Thiel had 19 assists and seven kills, and Devaney recorded eight kills and four blocks.  Victoria Cordero (Bronx, NY), meanwhile, collected 18 digs for the Privateers, who smashed 45 kills and hit .127 (26 errors, 150 attempts) as a team.

For the Huskies, Drew Johnson led the way with 11 kills and 14 digs.  Anyelis Hernandez just missed a double-double with 12 assists and nine digs, and Macie Amther handed out 14 assists to go along with seven digs.  Chloe Whittaker contributed 14 digs, while Ella Koehler tallied 13 digs and six aces.

There were 12 ties and five lead changes in a back-and-forth first set of Maritime's matchup with Eastern Connecticut State.  Three straight Rolon kills gave the Privateers a 7-4 advantage before the Warriors rattled off four consecutive points to go up 8-7.  After Maritime regained a three-point cushion at 16-13, Eastern Connecticut State rallied to tie the score at 18-18.  It was level again at 22-22 when the Warriors went on a 3-0 run to capture the set, 25-22.

Eastern Connecticut State then raced out to a 10-2 lead in the second set.  The Privateers rallied within 12-6, but the Warriors countered with a seven-point spurt to extend the margin to 19-6.  Eastern Connecticut State took a 2-0 lead in the match with the 25-8 set win.

The Warriors opened the third set by claiming 12 of the first 15 points.  After Maritime pulled within six at 13-7, Eastern Connecticut State scored four straight points to open up a 17-7 advantage.  However, the Privateers responded with a 7-2 run that trimmed their deficit to 19-14.  Maritime would get no closer, though, as Eastern Connecticut State ended the set on a 6-1 spurt to clinch the frame, 25-15, and the match, 3-0.

Hall finished with nine kills on .368 hitting to pace the Privateers.  Rolon finished with six kills and a team-best nine digs, while Devaney had five kills and hit .333.  Pavarini handed out 13 assists, and Cordero recorded seven digs.

As a team, Eastern Connecticut State hit .258 (35-12-89) in the victory.  Emma Robinson paced the Warriors with seven kills, while Taylor Thompson tallied six kills on .400 hitting.  Samantha Blandford had 12 assists to go along with seven digs.  Sierra York, meanwhile, finished with five kills, eight digs and five aces.  Emerson Conigliaro also served five aces while adding seven digs.

Up next, Maritime (1-0 Skyline) resumes its Skyline schedule with a 7 p.m. matchup at Merchant Marine (7-4, 0-0 Skyline) on Tuesday.