PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Maine Maritime Academy volleyball team completed a dominant North Atlantic Conference sweep of the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Saturday, winning both ends of a league doubleheader in straight sets.
The Mariners opened the day with a 25-11, 25-11, 25-15 victory before closing the afternoon with a 25-8, 25-14, 25-12 triumph. Maine Maritime improved to 9-9 overall and remained unbeaten in conference play at 6-0.
Maine Maritime controlled play from start to finish, winning all six sets and outscoring the Owls 150-71 on the day. The Mariners posted 71 kills, 21 service aces and a combined .308 hitting percentage across the two matches.
Senior
Sydney Williams led the offensive charge, totaling 27 kills while hitting .508 across the doubleheader. The senior also added 20 digs and four service aces. Freshman
Lyla Annen contributed 20 kills and three aces, while freshman
Faith Reed orchestrated the attack with 51 assists and 20 digs.
Junior
Hannah Tate anchored the back row with 31 digs while adding nine assists and five service aces. Senior
Amber Cooklin matched Tate with five aces as the Mariners consistently pressured UMPI's serve receive.
In the opening match, Maine Maritime raced away from the Owls in each of the first two sets before breaking open a 9-9 tie in the third with a decisive run. Williams paced the attack with 13 kills and 11 digs, while Annen added 11 kills and nine digs. Reed finished with 20 assists and Tate chipped in 14 digs.
The Mariners were even more dominant in the second contest, hitting .402 as a team while limiting UMPI to a -.044 hitting percentage. Williams delivered a match-high 14 kills on .591 hitting, and Reed handed out 31 assists. Annen added nine kills on just 14 attempts, and Tate collected a match-high 17 digs.
Maine Maritime seized control of the nightcap early, using a 12-1 surge to build a 13-3 lead in the opening set before cruising to a 25-8 win. The Mariners followed with a 25-14 second-set victory and closed the match by scoring 13 of the final 15 points in the third set.
Freshman
Kelsie Murray contributed six kills and four blocks during the doubleheader, while sophomore
Lauren Davis added eight kills during the second match.
The Mariners return to action at home on Wednesday when they host the University of Maine at Fort Kent beginning at 4 p.m.
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