Solid Buccaneer Performance not enough against Bulldogs

Solid Buccaneer Performance not enough against Bulldogs

FRANKLIN, Mass – Saturday morning marked the third meeting of the season between the Dean College Bulldogs and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneer volleyball teams. In the first meeting, at Maritime, the Bulldogs came away victorious three games to two. In the second meeting, part of a tri-match at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass, the Bulldogs took the victory in four sets. This time around, at Dean College, the Buccaneers were swept in three sets by the 'Dogs. Though it was a sweep, the Bucs were as competitive as they had been in the previous two meeting between the teams, losing the sets, 25-23, 25-16, and forcing an extended game in the third set, dropping it 28-26.

Senior Buccaneer, Jen Roy (Attleboro, Mass) led the match with 12 kills in 30 total attacks while adding two service aces. Junior, Marie Harrison (Weymouth, Mass), was second among all players, only behind Roy, with nine kills on the day. She added 18 digs defensively; one of four Buccaneers to record double digit digs. Junior, Michelle Sheehan (Attleboro, Mass) tallied a match high 27 assists offensively. She added two kills and eight digs to het stat line. Buccaneer libero Christina Ruggeri (Bourne, Mass) led the match with 25 digs for MMA. Sophomore, Madison Coughlin (Monroe, Conn) and freshman Bianca Andronic (Somerset, Mass) each recorded 12 digs in the match. Coughlin also added five kills offensively as well as a match high four service aces.

The Bulldogs Melanie Rios-Nevarez led the way for Dean with eight kills as well as 11 assists. Tying MMA's Coughlin with a match high four service aces was Dean's Kait Anderson, who also had 15 digs defensively. Leading the way defensively for Dean with 22 digs was Samantha Trullo. Trullo also had four kills on the day.

With the exception of set two, the Buccaneers were in this match from beginning to end. In the first set, Dean jumped out to an early 3-0 lead which was quickly cut to one by the Bucs. As the set progressed, the Bulldogs would pull away by four and the Buccaneers would lessen the deficit. The Bulldogs would pull out to an eight points lead, their largest of the set, and again, Maritime cut it down, eventually tying the game at 21 apiece. The teams traded point until they each reached 23 which was then followed by back-to-back Buccaneer errors, giving the set victory to the hosts.

In set two, Dean opened a 4-0 lead to start things off. The Buccaneers would pull back within a point but that would be as close as they would get in the set with the Bulldogs slowly opening up their lead throughout the game. At most, Dean had a nine-point advantage, which is how many points they would win the set by, 25-16, to take a 2-0 lead over their guests.

The Buccaneers had come back from 2-0 down to record their lone victory of the season earlier against Fitchburg State and they certainly gave it their best against the Bulldogs. In the third set, Dean, again, started off with a three-point lead and again, the Buccaneers closed the gap, this time taking a lead, scoring four unanswered points. They followed that run up by extending their lead in the game to as many as six points. The Bucs would hold their lead until they hit 22 points, at which point, Dean closed the gap and tied the set at 23 all. While neither team wanted to budge in the win-by-two game, the team battled to 26 apiece and then the Bulldogs scored two points on an error by the Bucs and a kill by Rios-Nevarez to take the set and the match, 3-0 against Maritime.

With the loss, the Buccaneers fall to 1-18 on the season, 1-5 in conference play. Maritime has two games remaining on the schedule. They will travel to Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Mass on Tuesday, October 23rd to face off against the Gators at 7pm. The team will end their season with senior night, at home against MCLA at 7pm on Friday October 26th. The final game against MCLA is also a win and get in situation for both teams, with the winner qualifying for the 6th and final spot in the MASCAC Playoffs.