FRANKLIN, Mass – Volleyball traveled to Franklin to take on Dean College Saturday afternoon. It was the second meeting between the two teams this season. The first came back in September in Buzzards Bay that the Bulldogs won in five sets, 3-2. This time around, the Bulldogs took the match on their home court in four sets.

The Basics

Final: Bulldogs 3, Buccaneers 1 (25-9, 22-25, 16-25, 24-26)

Records Mass Maritime 2-18 (0-6 MASCAC)

               Dean 7-17 (2-4 NECC)

For The Bucs

• Senior Captain Marie Harrison (Weymouth, Mass) led all Bucs with 10 kills in the match. She added an assist, a service ace and 11 digs.
• Freshman Hannah Tarbox (Attleboro, Mass) finished with a career high nine kills, adding two digs defensively.
• Senior Captain Christina Ruggeri (Bourne, Mass) finished the day with three kills, a team-high three service aces and a team-high 16 digs.
• Senior Captain Michelle Sheehan (Attleboro, Mass) racked up five kills and added an assist, a service ace and three digs.
• Junior Madison Coughlin (Monroe, Conn) tallied a match-high 28 assists in the match and had nine digs defensively.

For The Bulldogs

• Kait Anderson led the match with 17 kills for the hosts.
• Melanie Rios-Nevarez led her team with 22 assists and three service aces.
• Nicole Defosses recorded a match-high 26 digs and a game-high three service aces.

How It Happened

Maritime handled the Bulldogs easily in the first set. Sheehan set the tone of the game on the first serve with a service ace. From there Bucs held on to the momentum taking a big early lead, 8-2. After Dean scored their third points, the Bucs went on a seven points run to take a 15-3 advantage. Maritime went on to outscore Dean 10-5 to take the set 25-9, giving them a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Bucs again took a commanding lead in the second set, leading by seven, 14-7, midway through. Looking like they were going to take a two games to none lead in the match, the Bucs let the momentum slip to the Bulldogs. Dean scored the next three points and 10 of the next 12 to tie the game and then take the lead, 17-16. Maritime regained the lead very late, 21-19, but it would slip away when Dean scored five unanswered to go up three, 24-21. On an Anderson kill, the Bulldogs won the set 25-22 to tie the match at one set apiece.

Set three was commanded by the Bulldogs, starting it off up 4-0 and by the time the midpoint of the game came around the 'Dogs were up 13-6. Maritime pulled within four, 14-10, after a 5-2 run but Dean countered with a five-point run of their own to open the lead to nine points. Down 19-10, the Bucs scored six of the next 12 points but that also meant that Dean scored six which allowed them to win the third set, 25-16, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Maritime did not go down without a fight in this one as the fourth set was the closest of the four on the day. In the most back-and-forth set of the afternoon, the two teams traded points and leads throughout. Maritime fell behind early and came back to tie and even take a lead, 9-8. The Bucs fell behind as many as four points in the late going but made a comeback to tie the game once again, 18-18. Maritime would never lead again but with the match on the line, down 24-22, the Bucs scored two to tie the game at 24-24. A kill by Anderson made it match points and on the ensuing Anderson serve, the Bucs made an unforced error giving the 'Dogs a 26-24 win in set four and a 3-1 match victory.

Up Next

The Buccaneers will be back home for their next match on Wednesday, October 30^th at 7pm against Lasell University. It will also be senior night for the three seniors on the Buc roster.