BOSTON, Mass. – Rachel Melampy (Duxbury, Mass) and Ila Smith (Lexington, Ky.) combined for 71 kills to lead Mariners to a 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 26-28, 15-13) win over New England College and a 3-1 (23-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-16) win over UMass-Boston in the Beacon Invite.
 
Mariners 3 – Pilgrims 2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 26-28, 15-13)
How it Happened: The Pilgrims got the jump on the Mariners in the first set, going on a 5-0 run that the Mariners couldn't climb out of. Smith and Katie Albritton (Hutto, Texas) ended a close second set with a block and Melampy put an end to the third with a kill to put the Mariners up 2-1. The Mariners blew an 11-2 lead in the fourth set to give the Pilgrims some life going into the fifth set. Maine Maritime barely took the fifth set, 15-13 to win the match.
 
Inside the Numbers:

• Melampy had a game-high 25 kills, hitting over .300, to go with eight digs and two aces.
• Smith had 14 kills, hitting .400, and three block assists.
• Albritton dished out a game-high 47 assists in addition to 15 digs, 2.5 blocks, and two aces.
• Sydney Rich (Williamsburg, Va.) recorded a game-high 22 digs and one ace.
• Hunnie Zuber-Stevens (Lubbock, Texas) had 15 digs, nine kills and two aces.
• Amber Thi tallied 15 kills for the Pilgrims and Arianna Blaize-Llamas had 17 assists

 
Mariners 3 – Beacons 1 (23-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-16)
How it Happened: This game was competitive from the start, with both teams knotted at 23, before UMass-Boston scored two quick points to take the first set. The Mariners dominated the second set, hitting over .500 to tie the match. A six-point run for the Mariners gave them just enough cushion to take the third set, before dominating the fourth set to win the match.
 
Inside the Numbers:

• Melampy hit in the 20s again with a game-high 21 kills, on .415 hitting, along with 14 digs, two aces, and an assist.
• Albritton dished out a game-high 49 assists, which ties the Maine Maritime single-match record for assists in a four-set match, in addition to 11 digs, three aces, and two kills.
• Rich anchored the Mariner defense once again with a game-high 25 digs and three assists.
• Riley Sullivan (Wilmington, Del.) had 11 kills, 11 digs, and three aces.
• Smith tallied 11 kills, hitting .588, as well as two block assists and one dig.
• Taryn Broughal had 10 kills for the Beacons and Melina Sullivan tallied 13 assists.

 
Up Next: The Mariners improve to 7-0 overall, while New England College falls to 2-6 and UMass-Boston falls to 2-5 on the year. Maine Maritime returns to action on Friday, September 16 at 5:00pm when they host UMaine-Fort Kent in their home opener.