CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Maine Maritime volleyball team showed resilience throughout a challenging Saturday at the MIT Invitational, pushing both MIT and Brandeis in competitive matches before falling to the Engineers, 3-0, and the Judges, 3-1, at Rockwell Cage.
Against unbeaten MIT, Maine Maritime (2-4) nearly forced a fourth set after battling the Engineers to a 25-23 decision in the second set. Maine Maritime later earned a set victory against Brandeis, taking the third frame 25-23 before ultimately falling in four sets.
Senior
Ally Hadley paced the Mariners throughout the day. The senior outside totaled 25 kills, 26 digs, three service aces and three total blocks across the two matches. Senior
Sydney Williams added a team-high 23 kills against Brandeis after recording seven kills against MIT, finishing the day with 30 kills and 20 digs.
In the opening match against MIT, Hadley led Maine Maritime with 12 kills and 16 digs, while Williams added seven kills and 10 digs. Freshman
Lyla Annen contributed seven kills and Freshman
Faith Reed handed out 27 assists.
After dropping the first set, the Mariners responded with a strong second-set effort, racing to a 6-0 lead and maintaining control for much of the frame. Maine Maritime held off several MIT rallies and closed within a point at 24-23 following a Hadley kill before the Engineers secured the final point for a 25-23 victory. The third set featured eight ties and four lead changes before MIT used a late 6-0 run to complete the sweep.
The Mariners bounced back with one of their strongest performances of the season in the nightcap against Brandeis. Williams led the attack with 16 kills and a .229 hitting percentage while adding 10 digs and two block assists. Hadley contributed 13 kills and 10 digs for a double-double, while Junior
Hannah Tate anchored the defense with a match-high 19 digs. Reed distributed 30 assists and added a service ace and a block assist.
Maine Maritime opened the Brandeis match with an early 11-6 advantage in the first set behind a service run from senior
Amber Cooklin, who served four consecutive points, including two aces. The Judges rallied late to claim the opener, 25-21.
The Mariners answered in a dramatic second set that featured 16 ties and seven lead changes. Williams delivered several key kills late before Maine Maritime fought off multiple set points and eventually earned a 27-27 tie. After a Brandeis point put the Judges ahead again, the hosts secured the final point to edge the Mariners, 29-27.
Facing a two-set deficit, Maine Maritime responded with its best volleyball of the day in the third set. The Mariners trailed 23-17 before reeling off the final eight points. Reed sparked the decisive run with a service ace, and the Mariners capitalized on a series of Brandeis attack errors before completing a remarkable comeback for a 25-23 victory.
Brandeis controlled the fourth set and pulled away for the 25-10 win to close the match.
For the day, Reed accumulated 57 assists, while Tate finished with 29 digs. Cooklin contributed four service aces, and freshman
Kelsie Murray recorded five total blocks across the two contests.
Maine Maritime returns to action on Wednesday when it battles No. 8 Colby College on the road beginning 6 p.m.
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