POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (Sept. 30, 2023) – On Saturday, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's volleyball team took part in a tri-match hosted by Vassar College on Saturday up in Dutchess County. The Mariners lost their first match of the day to William Smith College, 3-0 (25-22, 15-18, 25-20), before playing a five-set thriller against the Brewers in the nightcap, falling just short, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 19-25, 25-12, 15-6). The pair of losses dropped USMMA's record to 4-7 on the season.
 
Match Link

• William Smith Box Score
• Vassar Box Score 

The Mariners struggled to get kills in the opener against the Herons, as William Smith had 40 kills to their 21. Freshman Erin Stillinger (Keller, Texas) led the offense with five kills. Two players recorded double-digit digs, sophomore Stephanie Schatzman (Virginia Beach, Va.) with a match-high 16 and senior Meredith Buchanan (Kathleen, Ga.) with 10. Freshman Alexa Tipps (Palmdale, Calif.) registered 14 assists.
 
In the second match of the day, Buchanan tallied a double-double with a team-best 14 kills and 17 digs and fellow senior Brittany Breland (Bryan, Texas) contributed 10 kills. Schatzman had her second-straight 16-dig match and Tipps spread out 29 assists. Junior Virginia Robert (Lynchburg, Va.) picked up 11 digs.
 
Merchant Marine returns to action on Monday night, Oct. 2, when they travel to nearby Skyline Conference opponent Old Westbury. First serve of the match against the Panthers has been moved back to an hour later than previously scheduled, as the contest will now start at 7 p.m. inside OW's Clark Athletic Center Gym. Live stats and a live video feed the match is available with links on the USMMA Women's Volleyball Schedule Page.
 
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