KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Sept. 13, 2025) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy split a home tri-match on Saturday at Liebertz Gymnasium, falling to Western Connecticut in straight sets, 3–0 (19–25, 16–25, 16–25), before edging past Hartford in five, 3–2 (25–16, 22–25, 25–17, 17–25, 15–12). With the results, the Mariners move to 5–3 on the season; WestConn improved to 4–2, and Hartford dropped to 2–4.
Match Links
Sophomore
Sydney Douglas (Herndon, Va.) led USMMA against WestConn with nine kills, while freshman
Carly Soboloski (Peoria, Ariz.) added five kills and a team-best 18 digs. Sophomore
Jenny Dyke (Grand Rapids, Mich.) contributed six kills and an ace, sophomore
Maddie Mayer (Centennial, Colo.) chipped in five kills, and junior setter
Alexa Tipps (Palmdale, Calif.) tallied 22 assists and an ace. Senior libero
Stephanie Schatzman (Virginia Beach, Va.) finished with nine digs.
WestConn pulled away midway through the first set, using a 6–0 run to build a 15–9 lead. The Mariners cut into the deficit late behind kills from Douglas and Dyke, but the Wolves closed out the frame, 25–19.
In the second, USMMA jumped ahead 4–0 on kills from Douglas and Soboloski before WestConn rallied back to tie it at 7–7. A 7–1 run by the visitors turned the set, and they held off the Mariners down the stretch, 25–16.
The third was back-and-forth early, with the score tied 6–6, before WestConn surged ahead on a combination of kills from Julia Stoliker and Ella Hubert. USMMA pulled within 13–12 after back-to-back points from Mayer and Dyke, but the Wolves closed strong for another 25–16 final.
For WestConn, Julia Stoliker paced the attack with 15 kills, while Hallie Robillard and Delia Clouden chipped in eight apiece. Maggie Ferguson handed out 38 assists and matched Sydney Slupatchuk with a team-high 12 digs.
Against Hartford, junior
Erin Stillinger (Keller, Texas) led the way with 15 kills, while Soboloski registered a double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs. Tipps also recorded a double-double, dishing out 43 assists to go along with a team-best 25 digs and three aces. Douglas finished with 10 kills, Mayer added nine, and Dyke hit .353 with seven kills. Schatzman finished the match with 18 digs.
USMMA opened the action by racing out to a 6–0 lead behind Tipps' serve, including two early aces, on the way to a 25–16 win in the first set.
The Hawks responded in the second with a 7–0 run to start the frame. The Mariners rallied to close the gap to 22–21 on kills from Soboloski and Douglas, but Hartford hung on to even the match, 25–22.
The Mariners took control in the third set, stringing together a 7–2 stretch midway through that featured kills from Dyke and Stillinger. Soboloski and Mayer added late points as USMMA rolled to a 25–17 win.
Hartford forced a decisive fifth by jumping out early in the fourth. The Hawks built an 8–3 advantage and never looked back, taking the set, 25–17.
In the tiebreaker, the Mariners broke an early 2–2 tie with a 6–2 surge capped by back-to-back kills from Soboloski and Mayer. Hartford pulled within 13–11, but Stillinger put down her final two kills of the day and a Hawks service error clinched the 15–12 win and the match.
Hartford was led by Jordan Murphy, who finished with 21 kills and six digs, while her sister Jenna Murphy posted 11 kills and 10 blocks. Kylee Connally had 33 assists, and libero Kalle Legassey collected a match-high 35 digs.
The Mariners return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 17, when they travel to face Drew in a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup.
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