NEW LONDON, N.H. -- Maine Maritime advanced to its seventh-straight women's volleyball North Atlantic Conference championship with a hard-fought 3-0 win over Castleton Friday. The Mariners will take on Colby-Sawyer, a 3-0 winner over Husson, for the third-straight year in Saturday's 11:30 a.m. championship match.

The Mariners won 25-18, 25-21, 25-22.

Castleton began the match with a 9-1 run capped by an ace from freshman Cassidy Tedeschi. Maine Maritime battled back and tied the set at 12-12 with an 11-3 run capped by a Molly Marcotte kill. The set was be tied once again at 18-18 before the Mariners finished on a 7-0 run to win 25-18. 

The second set also was back and forth with six ties and four lead changes. The finish of the frame mirrored that of the first set as the teams were tied at 18-18. Once again, Maine Maritime closed the set with a strong 7-3 run for a 25-12 victory. 

Castleton opened the final set with  5-0 lead  on four kills and an ace by sophomore Michaela Babineau. The Spartans held the lead until the Mariners knotted the set at 9-9 on a Marcotte kill. The Mariners used a 4-0 spurt capped by a Sydney Robertson kill to take a 13-9 lead . Castleton battled back on four occasions to tie the score with the latest being at 22-22.  The comeback fell short as Maine Maritime scored the final three points ending on a Melissa Lail kill. 

Maine Maritime (18-9) was led by Gillian O'Neal, who notched 14 kills and 15 digs. Lail and Robertson finished with seven kills apiece. Lail added a match-high 17 digs and Samantha Tumolo registered 35 assists. 

Robertson picked up two blocks and set the school record for block solos in a season with 43. She surpassed Amy Young '08 who had the record with 42.

Castleton (10-14) received a team-best seven kills from sophomore Kaylee Pratt.  Brittany Brayman had six kills and a team-high 16 digs and Shelby Smith recorded a double-double of 10 assists and 10 digs. 

  Maine Maritime def. Castleton 25-18,25-21,25-22

  Castleton (10-14) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kaylee Pratt 7-0-1; Brittany
  Brayman 6-1-1; Amanda Chambers 5-0-0; Cassidy Tedeschi 3-1-0; Kristi
  Lawless 2-2-0; Shelby Smyth 0-1-0; Michaela Babineau 0-3-0; Alex
  Madsen 0-0-2; Totals 23-8-2.0. (Assists) - Shelby Smyth 10. (Dig
  leaders) - Brittany Brayman 16; Amanda Chambers 12; Shelby Smyth 10

  Maine Maritime (18-9) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Gillian O'Neal 14-3-0;
  Melissa Lail 7-0-0; Sydney Robertson 7-0-2; Betsy Trenckman 6-2-0;
  Molly Marcotte 5-0-0; Samantha Tumolo 2-0-0; Jess Menges 0-1-0; Totals
  41-6-2.0. (Assists) - Samantha Tumolo 35. (Dig leaders) - Melissa Lail
  17; Gillian O'Neal 15; Betsy Trenckman 8