CASTINE, Maine — The Maine Maritime Academy volleyball team captured its second-straight North Atlantic Conference Championship on Saturday, sweeping SUNY Delhi 3-0 to secure the NAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Maine Maritime (21-8) came out firing, racing to a 9-4 lead in the opening set before stretching the margin to 19-7. The Mariners closed the frame on a 6-2 burst to take the set 25-9 and a quick 1-0 advantage.

In set two, SUNY Delhi (8-24) started strong with an 8-6 lead, but MMA responded with four straight points to go up 10-8. After the Broncos tied the set at 13-13, the Mariners countered with a commanding 12-5 run to earn a 25-18 victory and a 2-0 match lead.

SUNY Delhi opened the third set with a 2-1 edge, but the Mariners seized momentum with a 6-0 run to go ahead 7-2. From there, MMA controlled the frame, building an 18-5 cushion before closing out the championship with a 25-8 win.

Maine Maritime hit .267 as a team while holding the Broncos to -.013, and the Mariners dominated from the service line with 15 aces while adding four blocks.

Junior Sydney Williams was named the NAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after posting 12 kills, just two errors, a .435 hitting percentage, and 10 digs for a double-double. Fellow junior Ally Hadley added nine kills, hit .400, and delivered five service aces along with 11 digs.

Senior Ila Smith contributed four kills, while senior Sophia Biggie recorded five. Senior Hunnie Zuber-Stephens directed the offense with 26 assists and added two kills. Freshman Ayla Altman tallied nine digs, and sophomore Hannah Tate chipped in six.

The Mariners will learn their opponent and destination for the NCAA Tournament on Monday during the NCAA Selection Show at 1 p.m.