Volleyball Breakdowns Mass. Maritime in Four

BOSTON – The Suffolk volleyball team took a 2-0 advantage and held off a Mass. Maritime comeback to secure a 3-1 non-conference to wrap up the Rams' first home tri-match of the season Saturday afternoon inside Regan Gymnasium.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Mass. Maritime 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-9) | Mass Maritime (0-11)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-9, SUFFOLK)

• The teams traded points before Mass. Maritime went on a 6-1 stretch to put Suffolk in a 6-3 hole. 
• After a Bucs attack error, the Rams rallied behind Sarah Mullahy at the service line and put up eight unanswered points to go up 11-6. 
• Suffolk maintained its advantage at the midway point, 15-8, and continued on cruise control to take the set, 25-9.  

SET TWO RECAP (25-15, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk's early 10-3 lead bloomed into a double figure 21-11 advantage. 
• The Buccaneers cut the deficit to eight, 23-15. 
• A MMA error followed by a service ace from Kaleigh Khanna secured the set for Suffolk, 25-15. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-20, MASS. MARITIME)

• The Rams' scored the first three points of the stanza before the Bucs responded with three of their own to even the score for the first of what would be six times at 3-all. 
• In the back-and-forth span the lead flipped four times with the final exchange coming at 9-8 on an attack error by Maritime's Mary Booth. 
• Suffolk built a 15-10 edge that the Bucs chipped away and eventually turned in their favor, 18-16.  
• Mullahy's fourth ace leveled the playing field at 18-all, but MMA outscored the hosts, 7-2 the remainder of the way to force the fourth frame.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-14, SUFFOLK)

• After the stanza equalized at 2-all, Suffolk scored five unanswered to gain a 7-2 edge. 
• The run continued out of a Buccaneers timeout as the Rams went on a 6-2 stretch to gain a 13-4 advantage. 
• Suffolk grabbed a 17-5 lead before Maritime played catchup and pulled within eight, 18-10. 
• The Rams kept the Buccaneers at bay the rest of the way to lock up the set and match, 25-14.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Meg Kerek had an all-around day with 31 assists to set up Suffolk's 46-kill attack with the sophomore setter adding 11 digs to the defensive effort. 
• Chidera Nwankwo paced Suffolk's attack with 12 kills off a .500 attack percentage. At the net, the senior picked up four blocks. 
• Bridget Allison contributed nine kills, two aces, two blocks and two digs. 
• Mullahy finished the afternoon with six digs, four aces, two blocks and one kill.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk remains unbeaten all-time versus Mass. Maritime, improving to 15-0. 
• The Rams and Buccaneers went to four sets for the second straight season with the blue-and-gold coming out victories in both such instances.
• Kerek recorded her first collegiate double-double behind personal bests in both assists (31) and digs (11). 
• Nwankwo notched a season-high 12 kills.  

POST-MATCH PIC

ON DECK
Suffolk wraps up its tri-match this afternoon at 3 p.m. versus Mass. Maritime.