FITCHBURG, Mass – Following a home win in 2018 over the Falcons, the Bucs took to the road on Tuesday evening to open their Conference schedule against Fitchburg. The Bucs dropped the first two sets, took the third and dropped a close fourth set, dropping the match, 3-1, to the Falcons.

The Basics

Final: Falcons 3, Buccaneers 1 (25-20, 25-23, 25-17, 27-25)

Records: Mass Maritime 1-7 (0-1)

               Fitchburg State 2-6 (1-0)

For The Bucs

• Senior Captain Marie Harrison (Weymouth, Mass) posted a match-high 12 kills and a career and match-high 27 digs on the night.
• Senior Captain Michelle Sheehan (Attleboro, Mass) had a career-high 34 assists which led all players.
• Senior Captain Christina Ruggeri (Bourne, Mass) posted 15 digs.
• Ruggeri and sophomore Bianca Andronic (Somerset, Mass) tied for a match-high three service aces. Andronic also had nine digs on the evening.
• Freshman Kolby Barbieri (Haverhill, Mass) tallied seven kills in the game.
• Freshman Isabelle Miazga (Rocky Hill, Conn) had three kills and 10 digs for the Bucs.

For The Falcons

• Lauren Riccardi led the Falcons with 10 kills.
• Defensively, Chloe Guzman had 25 digs to lead the hosts.
• Jaquelyn Manyak had a team leading 11 assists.
• Amy Coelho and Meredith Taylor each had three service aces to tie the match-high.

How It Happened

The Buccaneers and Falcons played four close games in their match on Tuesday night in Fitchburg. The two very evenly matched teams each crossed the 20-point plateau in the first two matches with the Falcons winning each, 25-20, 25-23, respectively. The Falcons posted seven kills in each of the first two games but had hitting percentages that were sub zero. Maritime had five kills in game one, 10 in game two, posting a .176 hitting percentage in game two, unable to take either game.

In game three, the Bucs out hit the Falcons .114- -.029 with 10 kills to Fitchburg's six. The Bucs had one of their biggest margins of victory in a single game of the season, 25-17 to cut the Falcon lead in half.

Down 2-1 going to the third fourth game, needing a win, the Bucs went back and forth with the Falcons trying to force a fifth and final set in the match. Both teams had multiple leads in the game and neither fell behind by more than two points. Late in the game the teams tied at 24-24 then 25-25. Needing to win by two to take the game, and the match, the Falcons scored the final two points of the evening to win the fourth set, 27-25, taking the match, 3 games to 1.

Up Next

The Buccaneers head to East Boston, Mass on Saturday, September 21 for a non-conference tri-match at Suffolk University with the Rams and Castleton State at 11am and 1pm.