CASTINE, Maine – The Maine Maritime Academy volleyball team rolled to a straight-set victory over the University of Maine at Fort Kent on Wednesday afternoon in Smith Gymnasium, sweeping the Bengals 25-6, 25-14, 25-10 in nonconference action.
The Mariners improved to 10-9 overall while extending their strong play behind an efficient offensive performance that saw the team hit .472 with 40 kills and just six errors on 72 total attacks.
Senior
Sydney Williams paced the Maine Maritime attack with a match-high 15 kills, adding seven digs and two service aces while hitting an impressive .609. Freshman
Lyla Annen was equally efficient, recording 11 kills on 15 swings for a .667 hitting percentage. Senior
Ally Hadley added six kills, three aces and a .625 attack percentage.
Freshman setter
Faith Reed orchestrated the offense with 32 assists while contributing three aces and four digs. Defensively, sophomore
Hannah Tate led all players with 13 digs and matched the team lead with four service aces.
Maine Maritime controlled the match from the outset. The Mariners raced out to an early advantage in the opening set and finished with six aces while hitting .647 in a dominant 25-6 win. UMaine-Fort Kent mounted its strongest challenge in the second set, briefly taking a 6-4 lead, but the Mariners responded with a 21-8 run to secure a 25-14 victory.
The Mariners closed out the sweep in emphatic fashion, hitting .667 in the third set behind seven kills from Williams and Annen combined. Consecutive service aces from Tate helped spark a late surge as Maine Maritime finished the set on a 7-0 run.
As a team, the Mariners collected 14 service aces, including four from Tate, three from Hadley and three from Reed. Maine Maritime also held a decisive 37-24 advantage in digs and limited UMaine-Fort Kent to a .015 hitting percentage.
The Mariners return to action at home on Saturday taking on Vermont State University Johnson at 3 & 5 for Military Appreciation Day.
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