THROGGS NECK, NY – After playing four out of five on the road, the Maritime College volleyball team began a stretch where five of its final seven matches are at Riesenberg Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Privateers (3-16, 1-5 Skyline) took on a Sarah Lawrence squad that's currently ranked No. 3 in the region and gave the Gryphons (18-2, 4-0 Skyline) a fight before falling, 25-22, 25-18, 26-24.
Maritime raced out to a 6-2 lead in the first set before Sarah Lawrence used an 8-2 spurt to go up 10-8. Then it was the Privateers' turn to make a run, as a
Laci Werner (New York, NY) kill sparked a 9-1 rally that put Maritime in front 17-11. After the Gryphons responded by taking eight of the next nine points, the Privateers rattled off three of the next four to regain a 21-20 advantage. However, Sarah Lawrence ended the set on a 5-1 run to claim a 25-22 win.
There were eight more ties and four lead changes in the second set. Maritime claimed three of the first four points, then the Gryphons leveled the score at 6-6. After three straight kills by
Andressa Dias-Moreira (Forest Hills, NY),
Mikaela Thiel (Fort Morgan, CO) and Werner gave the Privateers a 9-6 advantage, Sarah Lawrence rallied to build a 14-11 lead. Maritime won the next four points to go back in front, 15-14, but the Gryphons went on a 10-4 spurt to finish off the set, 25-18, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, Sarah Lawrence jumped in front 4-2 before the Privateers forced an 8-8 deadlock on an
Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) service ace. The Gryphons responded with a 9-0 run to open up a 17-9 advantage. Maritime battled all the way back, however, tying it at 23-23 on a Thiel kill. After Sarah Lawrence got to match point, a kill by Werner leveled the score at 24-24. The Gryphons converted their second match point opportunity, though, wrapping up the 3-0 sweep with a 26-24 third-set triumph.
Werner smashed 11 kills on .320 hitting while also notching eight digs and two aces for the Privateers. Thiel finished with 24 assists to go along with seven digs, three blocks, four kills (on .500 hitting) and two aces.
Joan Anastasiades (Rockaway Beach, NY) tallied 14 digs, and Dias-Moreira had five kills and three blocks.
For Sarah Lawrence, Nikolet Vataj posted a double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs. Sophia Costa, meanwhile, tallied 29 assists and nine digs. Charlotte Siemsen hit .312 in the match and recorded seven kills while adding three blocks. Caroline Combs contributed six kills and nine digs for the Gryphons, who outdug Maritime 48-42.
The Privateers are back at Riesenberg Gymnasium on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup with four-time defending Skyline champion Manhattanville (5-9, 2-2 Skyline).
