BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Maine Maritime Academy women's volleyball team came back from a 2-0 deficit and won three straight sets to record a 3-2 victory over Wheaton College (Mass.) (18-25, 23-25, 25-13, 25-21, 15-11) as part of a tri-match with Bowdoin College at Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick, Maine.
The Lyons fall to 11-11 on the season, while the Mariners improve to 16-4.
Senior outside hitter Annah Shaheen (Portsmouth, N.H.) led Wheaton with 10 kills and added 10 digs, while sophomore middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) swung for nine kills to go with two aces and four total blocks, including three solos. Senior middle hitter Megan Kelleher (Wethersfield, Conn.) put down eight kills on a .294 hitting percentage in addition to a block solo. Senior setter Julianna Flack (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) set for 37 assists in addition to seven digs. First year libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) got down for a match-high 21 digs.
Junior middle blocker Chloe Weeks (Farmington, N.H.) paced Maine Maritime spiked for 15 kills to go with three block solos and three digs and first year outside hitter Alley Hadley (Hebron, Conn.) put away 14 kills and added 17 digs for a double-double to go with two aces and two block assists. Sophomore middle hitter Ila Smith (Lexington, Ky.) contributed with 10 kills and three blocks and junior setter Katie Albritton (Hutto, Texas) set for 25 assists. Junior libero Sydney Rich (Williamsburg, Va.) picked up 19 digs and fired a pair of aces.
The teams were tied at 9-9 in the opening set, before the Lyons scored eight of the next nine points, including two kills from Wingler, to take a 17-10 advantage. The Mariners scored the next four points to cut the deficit to 17-14. Wheaton closed out the set on an 8-4 run, including three kills from Kelleher to take a 1-0 match lead.
Maine Maritime owned a 13-9 margin in the second frame. The Lyons put together a 10-3 stretch, including four kills from Shaheen, to take a 19-16 lead. The Mariners battled back to knot the score at 21-21, before Wheaton scored three unanswered points to sit at set point (24-21). Maine Maritime scored the next two points to close within a point at 24-23, before the Lyons ended the set to take a 2-0 match lead.
The Mariners regrouped to win the next two sets to force a fifth set. Maine Maritime took an early 6-1 lead in the third set, before Wheaton matched the Mariners to tie the frame at 7-7. Maine Maritime took control of the set and closed out the set with an 18-6 stretch to take the frame at 25-13.
The Lyons owned a 14-12 lead set number four, but an 8-1 burst from the Mariners resulted in a 20-15 deficit for Wheaton. Hadley put down three kills to fuel Maine Maritime. The Mariners maintained their margin and took the set 25-21 following a kill from Smith.
The teams battled back and forth through the middle of the fifth set with neither team leading by more than a point before the Mariners took a 10-8 lead. The Lyons scored the next two points to pull even at 10-10. Maine Maritime scored five of the next six points to win the set and the match at 15-11.
Wheaton returns to the court on Tuesday, October 24 when it hosts New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference foe Salve Regina University at 7:00 p.m., while the Mariners host University of Maine at Fort Kent on October 26 at 6:00 p.m.
