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WATCH: Postgame Interviews (Buchanan & Smith) (Turn the volume UP for Buchanan's)
 
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Oct. 4, 2021) – The USMMA women's volleyball team hosted Skyline Conference opponent St. Joseph's-Long Island on Monday night at the Liebertz Gymnasium and had to fight at times, especially at the ends of the first two sets, but eventually defeated the Golden Eagles, 3-0, to ride their win-streak to six matches over the past nine days.
 
The Mariners (13-3, 5-1 Skyline) were led by senior Sierra Steffen (Encinitas, Calif.), who put down a match-best 11 kills. Sophomore Meredith Buchanan (Kathleen, Ga.) contributed with eight kills on a .467 hitting percentage, while senior Taylor Gilbertson (Phoenix, Ariz.) and junior Paige Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.) both added seven kills apiece. Smith had the only double-digit dig performance of the night for USMMA with 11.
 
Senior Brittney Pinzon (Fullerton, Calif.) dished out a team-high 21 assists and junior Claire Hyun (Issaquah, Wash.) had 11 helpers. The Mariners also produced offensive from the hands of senior Juliet Vendl (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Amy Jones (Roscoe, Ill.), who chipped in with four and three kills, respectively, with Vendl hitting at a .500 clip (4k-0e-8ta).
 
The Mariners were up 19-14 in the first set before St. Joe's fought back to within one with four-straight points. The Golden Eagles went on to eventually tie the score up at 21-21, before Merchant Marine rattled off three-straight to come to set-point. However, SJC responded with three-straight of their own to tie it up and force extras, but a kill by Steffen and a block by Steffen and Jones ended the set, 26-24, in favor of KP.
 
The second set was close in the beginning before the Mariners started to distance themselves from 8-7 to 16-8. The Golden Eagles fought back with four-out-of-five points and then came within two 21-19 later on, but the two teams traded off two-consecutive points apiece over the next six points with the Mariners taking the set, 25-21.
 
Merchant Marine got going early in the third set, building up an advantage of 13-6, and then later 20-13, and took the set by the final of 25-16, to win the match.
 
St. Joseph's (4-7, 2-1 Skyline) freshman Deirdre Carney led the squad with nine kills, while senior Amanda Goldstein and junior Jamie Trowbridge both added seven kills each. Sophomore setter Tara Langford dished out a match-high 27 assists and had the only double-double of the night with a team-best 10 digs.
 
Up next, the Mariners will hit the road to face the other St. Joseph's College in the Skyline Conference, the Bears of St. Joe's-Brooklyn, this Wednesday night, Oct. 6, beginning at 7 p.m. at SJC's Hill Center. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Women's Volleyball Schedule Page.
 
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