POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (Nov. 9, 2024) – On Saturday, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's volleyball team competed in a tri-match by Vassar College. The Mariners dropped their first match of the day to Vassar College, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-19), before falling in a five-set back-and-forth thriller, 3-2 (25-11, 26-24, 25-23, 25-12, 16-14). The pair of losses dropped USMMA's record to 18-8 on the year.
Match Links
Elizabeth Kay (Charleston, W.Va.) and
Maddie Mayer (Centennial, Colo.) led all Mariner swingers in game one, smashing a team-high eight kills each.
Sydney Douglas (Herndon, Va.) contributed to the offense with seven kills. Freshman setter
Kylie Creech (Osceola, Ind.) handed out a team-high 16 assists, while
Virginia Robert (Lynchburg, Va.) placed a team-best two service aces. Freshman
Sophia Murray (Conroe, Texas) led the Mariners on defense with 10 digs.
USMMA had three players post double-digit kills, and three register double-doubles in the second match. Douglas put up her sixth double-double of the season, uncorking a team-best tied and career-best 14 kills and posting 16 digs. Murray uncorked a team-high tied 14 kills, and registered 18 digs in the match. Freshman
Jenny Dyke (Grand Rapids, Mich.) chipped in on offense smashing a career-best 11 kills.
Creech dished out a career-high 45 assists and had 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season while adding a team-best three service aces.
Alexa Tipps (Palmdale, Calif.) served as the Mariner's libero in the second match, fielding a career-high 27 digs. Mayer and Dyke both had a solo block in the second contest. After dropping the first match 25-11, the Mariners bounced back to win the second and third set 26-24 and 25-23.
USMMA jumped out to a 7-4 advantage on a Robert service ace before a 7-2 Pioneer run made it 11-9. The Mariners would record three straight points to lead 12-11 on a Creech service ace, then after a 12-12 tie,
USMMA rang off four consecutive points with a Douglas kill, making it 16-12. Utica used a 6-2 run to tie it at 18 before
USMMA scored two of the following three points to lead 20-19. The Pioneers had one-point leads of 21-20 and 23-22 before USMMA finished with four of the last five points, including fighting off a set point to take it 26-24.
The Mariners took an early 10-7 lead in the third then the Pioneers responded with an 8-2 run to make it 15-12. Utica pushed their lead to five twice, 20-15 and 22-17 before USMMA closed the set on a heater. The Mariners finished strong down the stretch with a furious 8-1 run, capturing the third set 25-23.
After Utica took the fourth set 25-12, the fifth set was a hard-fought battle. The Mariners jumped out a 7-4 lead in the fifth set on a Mayer kill before Utica went on an 8-1 to lead 12-8.
USMMA responded right back with a 6-1 run capped off by a kill from
Dyke setting them up a point away from taking the match. Utica fought off match point and closed the set with three straight points to win 16-14.
The Mariners' regular season has concluded, and they have clinched a bye for the first round of the 2024 Skyline Championship Tournament.
USMMA will suit up this Thursday, November 14, at 7 p.m. in the semifinals against the winner of third-seeded St. Joseph's Long Island and sixth-seeded Mt. St. Mary.
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