THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College volleyball team's program record for kills in a match is 25.
Laci Werner (New York, NY) had 24 on Thursday night in the Privateers' home opener. Despite Werner's big night, however, Maritime (0-5) suffered a 25-27, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 15-13 loss to Brooklyn (1-2) at Riesenberg Gymnasium.
Werner hit .400 in the match, committing just six errors in 45 attempts while smashing 24 kills, one shy of the program mark set by Meredith Hayes in 2018. She added 10 digs for her second career double-double.
Mikaela Thiel (Fort Morgan, CO), meanwhile, finished with 40 assists and 15 digs.
Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) tallied 14 kills, eight digs and three service aces, and
Addison Weist (Staten Island, NY) served five aces to go along with 10 digs.
Joan Anastasiades (Rockaway Beach, NY) paced the Privateers with 17 digs.
After the Bulldogs scored the first four points of the match, Maritime rallied to take a 12-7 lead. Brooklyn went back in front, 15-13, before the Privateers used a 5-1 spurt to pull ahead 18-16. Then it was the Bulldogs' turn to go on a run, as Brooklyn recorded six of the next nine points. The Bulldogs reached set point at 24-23, but a Weist kill brought Maritime even. The Privateers then converted their second set point opportunity when Weist served an ace to wrap up a 27-25 win.
It was more of the same in a second set that featured 10 ties and six lead changes. Brooklyn built an early 4-1 cushion, then Maritime responded with five straight points. The Privateers still held the advantage, 11-8, when the Bulldogs used a 7-2 run to take a 15-13 advantage. Maritime claimed the next three points to regain the lead, 16-15, but Brooklyn ended the frame by earning 10 of the last 15 points, leveling the match at one set apiece with a 25-21 triumph.
In the third set, the Privateers jumped out to an early 6-3 lead before the Bulldogs went on a 9-2 run to go in front 12-8. Maritime came storming back, however, using an 11-3 rally of its own to regain the lead, 19-15. An ace by Anastasiades made it 23-18, and the Privateers closed out a 25-21 win that put them ahead 2-1 in the match.
Brooklyn opened the fourth set by capturing four of the first six points. After a Werner kill put Maritime ahead 9-6, the Bulldogs rattled off 13 of the next 15 points to take a 21-12 lead. Back-to-back kills by Pavarini sparked a 7-3 rally that brought the Privateers within three, 22-19. A block by Werner and
Emma DeMuro (Mahopac, NY) made it a two-point margin, 24-22, before Malia Reyes smashed a kill to give Brooklyn a 25-22 win and send the match into a decisive frame.
There were four ties early in the fifth set before the Bulldogs used a 4-1 run to build a 9-6 cushion. Maritime responded with three straight points to level the score at 9-9, but Brooklyn countered with a 4-0 rally of its own to go up 13-9. Kills by Weist and Pavarini, followed by a Thiel ace and a Bulldogs error forced another deadlock at 13-13. Brooklyn claimed the next point, then Saule Okeke-Ziburkus pounded a kill to finish off the set, 15-13, and the Bulldogs' comeback victory.
Okeke-Ziburkus finished with 19 kills, 18 digs and eight aces for Brooklyn. Reyes also recorded a double-double with 18 assists and 16 digs to go along with five aces. Rose Kory distributed 21 assists, while Olive Carroll tallied 10 kills and Mila Servania contributed 14 digs. Olivia Fan, meanwhile, posted seven blocks and added eight kills.
On Tuesday, the Privateers play their second consecutive home match when Albertus Magnus (2-2) visits Riesenberg Gymnasium at 7 p.m.
