MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME VOLLEYBALL

First Round – 2010 Maritime Classic

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Margaret Chase Smith Gymnasium, Castine, Maine

FINAL:              MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 3, NEW YORK MARITIME 0

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

CASTINE, Maine --  Senior Victoria Presutti (Marshfield, Mass.) recorded a career-high eight kills, four digs and a pair of service aces as Massachusetts Maritime posted its first victory in nearly four years with a 3-0 non-league college volleyball triumph over New York Maritime in opening round play of the 2010 Maritime Classic hosted at Maine Maritime’s Margaret Chase Smith Gymnasium Saturday evening.

Sophomore Suzanne Marino (Kings Park, N.Y.) added eight kills and seven digs as well in the win for the Buccaneers (1-8), who snapped a 55-match winless streak that dated back to October 17, 2006 in a 3-0 victory over Lesley at the Clean Harbors Athletic Center.  The triumph, which came by game scores of 25-18, 25-21 and 25-19, was the first for Head Coach Chris Ratches in her return to the Massachusetts Maritime bench, as she previously served as the program’s mentor from 2000 through 2005.

Sophomore Alex Burgess-Chrost (Leominster, Mass.) also registered a career-best eight kills to go with five digs and three service aces for the Buccaneers, while senior Allison Condino (Leominster, Mass.) added 15 set assists, four digs and an ace in the victory.  Sophomore Joanne Robery (Plainville, Mass.) chipped in with a career-high 14 digs, eight set assists and four service aces for the winners, who also received four digs, three kills and a pair of aces from freshman Kelly Lyons (Pocasset, Mass.).

“This team hasn’t stopped working hard from the first day of practice, and tonight everything came together for us,” Ratches said after the victory.  “I’m very proud of all of our players, but I’m especially proud and happy for our upperclassmen who never lost sight of working hard to continue to make this program better—they deserve this.”

The Privateers drop to 0-4 on the season with the setback.

Massachusetts Maritime wraps up play at the 2010 Maritime Classic on Sunday, as the Buccaneers will face Merchant Marine at 11:30 a.m. and host Maine Maritime at 2:30 p.m. in a pair of non-league outings at Margaret Chase Smith Gymnasium.