KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Sept. 29, 2022) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's volleyball team hosted Manhattanville College in a rematch of the past two Skyline Championship matches on Thursday night inside a raucous Liebertz Gymnasium, and the rivalry matchup did not disappoint. Despite falling behind 2-0 in the match, the Mariners stormed back to tie it up at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth set. However, it was the Valiants who would escape O'Hara Hall with the victory, 3-2.
 
USMMA falls to 6-4 (3-1 Skyline) in defeat, while Manhattanville improved to 10-2 (3-0 Skyline) with the victory.
 
Match Link

• Box Score 

How It Happened
The Valiants won the first two sets – the first by a very close 26-24 score and the second by a final of 25-20. Merchant Marine would not go quietly however, as the Mariners battled their way back into the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set and their own 26-24 barnburner to force the winner-take-all fifth set. Manhattanville got off to a hot start in the fifth, and despite a late comeback attempt, held on to take the exciting match.
 
The match was so evenly contested, that the two teams' hitting percentages were just .003 apart – the Valiants hit at a .178 clip, while the Mariners were at a .175 showing. Kills were in favor of Manhattanville, 66-60, as were service aces, 11-4, and assists, 62-58, but the Mariners led in blocks, 10-2, and digs, 129-112.
 
Merchant Marine Notes

• Senior Paige Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.) was one of two players with 20-plus kills, as she recorded a season-high 23. She also picked up a match- and career-high 34 digs defensively and added five blocks.
• Junior Brittany Breland (Bryan, Texas) set a new career-best with 20 kills, as she hit at a match-high .321 clip.
• Senior Claire Hyun (Issaquah, Wash.) dished out a career-high 52 assists and had a double-double with 20 digs.
• Aside from Smith and Hyun, three other players recorded double-digit digs on the evening – freshman Stephanie Schatzman (Virginia Beach, Va.) with a career-best 30, junior Meredith Buchanan (Kathleen, Ga.) with a career-best 21 and senior Skyler Burnham (Reading, Pa.) with 19.
• Junior Amy Jones (Roscoe, Ill.) was a part of a career-high eight blocks on the night, as the Mariners totaled 10 in the match. 

Manhattanville's Leaders

• Grad. student Alejandra Figueroa led all players on the night with 25 kills, while also picking up 14 digs.
• Freshman Loren Hernandez added 18 kills and 25 digs for a double-double as well.
• Senior Vianca Vital tallied a match-high 56 assists, dug up 14 balls and had four service aces.
• Sophomore libero Grace Ballagas had a team-best 31 digs. 

The Mariners hit the road next, when they travel out to Patchogue, N.Y. to take on Skyline opponent St. Joseph's-Long Island on Monday night, Oct. 3. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Golden Eagles' Danzi Athletic Center. Live stats and a live video feed of the match will be available with links on the USMMA Women's Volleyball Schedule Page.
 
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