NEW LONDON, CT – On Saturday, the Maritime College volleyball team played its first tri-match of the season, taking on Mass Maritime and Mitchell. After dropping a 25-21, 25-22, 27-25 decision to the Buccaneers (1-1), the Privateers took a 2-0 lead on the host Mariners in their second match of the day. However, Mitchell (2-0) rallied to earn a 22-25, 13-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-8 win over Maritime (0-3) at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
There were 10 ties and seven lead changes in the first set of the Privateers' matchup with Mass Maritime. Maritime used a 6-1 run to turn a 13-12 deficit into an 18-14 lead before the Buccaneers scored seven of the next eight points to go back ahead, 21-19. Mass Maritime would end up claiming the frame by a 25-21 count.
It was more of the same in the second set, as the score was tied nine times early on. However, after an
Ashley Pavarini (Ossining, NY) kill leveled the set at 12-12, the Buccaneers rattled off five of the next six points to build a 17-13 advantage. The Privateers got back within one at 21-20, but wouldn't pull any closer. Mass Maritime earned a 25-22 set win to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
After the Buccaneers opened up an early 6-4 edge in the third set, Maritime countered with a 4-1 spurt to go up 8-7. The Privateers were still in front, 11-10, when Mass Maritime used a 6-1 run to regain the lead, 16-12. The back-and-forth trend continued, with Maritime pulling ahead 21-19 before Mass Maritime went on a 5-0 rally to reach match point. The Privateers fought off three straight match points, then earned a set opportunity of their own at 25-24. Mass Maritime captured the next three points, though, to notch a 27-25 set win and finish off a 3-0 sweep.
Laci Werner (New York, NY) paced Maritime with nine kills to go along with nine digs, while Pavarini finished with eight kills and eight digs.
Addison Weist (Staten Island, NY) added seven kills, and
Mikaela Thiel (Fort Morgan, CO) distributed 23 assists.
Joan Anstasiades (Rockaway Beach, NY) collected a team-best 11 digs while adding three service aces.
Against Mitchell, the Privateers built a 12-9 advantage before the Mariners rattled off seven straight points to take a 16-12 lead. Maritime used a 4-0 run to tie it at 16-16, but Mitchell again responded, going on a 5-2 spurt to regain a 21-19 edge. The Privateers closed out the set on a 6-1 run, though, with a Werner kill finishing off the 25-22 win.
Maritime then dominated the second stanza. The Privateers scored five of the first six points and eventually extended their advantage to 17-9. The Mariners went on a 3-1 spurt to cut their deficit to 18-12 before Maritime ended the set on a 7-1 rally. The Privateers hit a combined .406 (15 kills, two errors, 32 attempts) in the 25-13 win, which Werner capped with her sixth kill of the set.
In the third set, Mitchell built a 4-1 cushion before a 5-0 Maritime run put the Privateers in front, 6-4. The Mariners countered with four straight points of their own to regain the lead, 8-6. Maritime eventually pulled back within one at 20-19, but a block by Miranda Hamilton and Whitley Jones sparked a set-ending 6-0 spurt for Mitchell. With the 25-20 set win, the Mariners pulled within 2-1 in the match.
The Privateers raced out to a 9-3 advantage in the fourth set, but Mitchell responded with a 7-1 rally to level the score at 10-10. The Mariners continued their run, eventually opening up a 23-16 lead. Maritime battled back, though, rattling off six straight points to trim its deficit to one, 23-22. After Mitchell won the next point, the Privateers stayed alive in the set on a kill by
Emma DeMuro (Mahopac, NY). However, Hamilton followed with a kill to give the Mariners a 25-23 set win and send the match into a decisive frame.
Early in the fifth set, the sides traded points. It was 5-5 when Mitchell's Cimber Jenkins served an ace to start an 8-1 run that brought the Mariners within two points of victory. Maritime captured the next two points to make it 13-8 before Mitchell completed the comeback win with a 15-8 fifth-set triumph.
Three Privateers had double-doubles in the match, led by Werner's 19-kill, 22-dig effort. Weist had 12 kills and 17 digs, while Pavarini finished with 10 kills and 12 digs. Thiel just missed a double-double of her own with a career-high 48 assists and nine digs. Anastasiades notched a career-best 20 digs, and DeMuro contributed seven kills on .462 hitting. Overall, Maritime tallied 101 points to the Mariners' 100. The Privateers also had an 86-78 edge in digs.
For Mitchell, Jenkins recorded a triple-double with 13 kills, 13 digs and 16 assists. She didn't commit an attack error in 32 attempts, hitting .406 in the victory. Kiersten Veenstra added 13 assists and seven digs. Jaslene Flores, meanwhile, contributed a match-high 25 digs. Jones also reached double-figures with 11 digs.
Up next for Maritime is a 6 p.m. matchup at Baruch (2-1) on Tuesday. Last season, the Privateers earned their first-ever win over the Bearcats, a 3-0 triumph at Riesenberg Gymnasium.
