MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME VOLLEYBALL

Third Annual Maritime Volleyball Classic

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Clean Harbors Athletic Center, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

GAME #1 FINAL:          MERCHANT MARINE 3, SUNY-MARITIME 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-9, 25-10, 25-7)

GAME #2 FINAL:          MAINE MARITIME 3, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-11, 25-19, 25-22)

CHAMPIONSHIP:          MERCHANT MARINE 3, MAINE MARITIME 1

                                    (Game Scores:  25-19, 25-18, 16-25, 26-24)

THIRD PLACE:             MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 3, SUNY-MARITIME 1

                                    (Game Scores:  25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-19)

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Merchant Marine captured the title at the Third Annual Maritime Volleyball Classic on Sunday afternoon at Massachusetts Maritime’s Clean Harbors Athletic Center, as Kings Point won the battle of Mariners by topping two-time defending tournament champion Maine Maritime in four sets that came by game scores of 25-19, 25-18, 16-25 and 26-24.

The third place contest saw host Massachusetts Maritime snap a 51-match winless streak with a 3-1 victory over SUNY-Maritime that came by game scores of 25-15, 18-25, 25-21 and 25-19, as the Buccaneers also notched their first home victory in nearly six seasons, ending a 35-match skein that dated back to a 3-0 triumph over Lesley that came on October 14, 2006.  The win came nearly two years to the day that Massachusetts Maritime posted a 3-0 victory over SUNY-Maritime in the opening round of the inaugural Maritime Classic on September 18, 2010 in Castine, Maine.

Merchant Marine sophomore Cassandra Palma (Loomis, Calif.), who was named as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, registered 16 kills and seven digs in the championship win for the Mariners (7-3), who also received nine kills and 13 digs from sophomore Michelle Danhof (San Antonio, Tex.) as well as eight kills and seven digs from freshman Caitlin McCabe (Edgewood, N. Mex.).  Freshman Riley Huelbig (Poolesville, Md.) collected 39 set assists for Kings Point, which also received seven kills and 11 digs from junior Kelly Hodges (Lakewood, Colo.) in the title match.

Junior Melissa Lail (Elizabeth, Colo.) paced Maine Maritime (5-4) with 12 kills and 14 digs in the championship setback, as the Mariners suffered their first defeat in nine Maritime Classic matches dating back to 2010.  Junior Ariel Knights (Brookton, Maine) added 10 kills and five digs for Maine Maritime in the title contest, as the Mariners also received 24 set assists and nine digs from senior Jennifer Dixon (Woodstock, Md.).

Freshman Emily Calnan (Hingham, Mass.) notched a career-high 10 kills in Massachusetts Maritime’s win over SUNY-Maritime, as senior Alex Burgess-Chrost (Leominster, Mass.) added seven kills and a career-high 18 digs for the Buccaneers (1-7), who also received seven kills, eight digs and seven set assists from sophomore Deb Langley (Abington, Mass.).  Freshman Kelsey Black (Plympton, Mass.) added 10 set assists in the win for the hosts, who also received nine digs from sophomore Lauren O’Shaughnessy (Yarmouthport, Mass.).

Sophomore Tessa Jardine (Valley Stream, N.Y.) led SUNY-Maritime in the third place setback with 12 kills and 23 digs, while the Privateers (0-7) also received five kills and eight digs from senior Jerrica Romero (Bronx, N.Y.) as well as 17 set assists from junior Alyssa Pourmonir (Pittston, Pa.) and five digs from freshman Cecilie Hammer (Stavanger, Norway).

Merchant Marine began the day with a 3-0 victory over SUNY-Maritime that came by game scores of 25-9, 25-10 and 25-7, as Palma paced the Mariners with 13 kills and three digs.  Danhof added eight kills and 11 digs for the winners, who also received 20 set assists from sophomore Paige Queen (Falcon, Colo.).  Romero notched four kills and six digs in the setback for the Privateers, who also received four set assists from Pourmonir.

Maine Maritime notched a 3-0 victory over Massachusetts Maritime in the other opening affair of the day by game scores of 25-11, 25-19 and 25-22, as Lail recorded seven kills and 10 digs for the Mariners, who also received 20 set assists from freshman Samantha Tumolo (Manorville, N.Y.) and 16 digs from freshman Molly Marcotte (Seekonk, Mass.).  Calnan and junior Ashley Button (Southfield, Mass.) each recorded five kills in the setback for the Buccaneers, who received six digs from junior Michaela Garrity (Tiverton, R.I.) and five set assists each from Langley and Black.

Palma was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Danhof, Maine Maritime’s Lail and Knights, Massachusetts Maritime’s Burgess-Chrost and SUNY-Maritime’s Romero.

Massachusetts Maritime heads to New Haven, Conn. on Tuesday evening to take on Albertus Magnus in a non-league outing that begins at 7:00 p.m., while Merchant Marine heads to New York City on Wednesday evening for a non-league match with New York University that also begins at 7:00 p.m.  Maine Maritime will be idle until Wednesday, September 26^th when the Mariners head to Lewiston, Maine to take on Bates in a non-league outing at 7:00 p.m., while SUNY-Maritime travels to Bronxville, N.Y. on Tuesday evening to take on Sarah Lawrence in a non-league contest that begins at 7:00 p.m.