Volleyball Splits Tri-Match to Open Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (0-1,0-0 Great Northe) | 25 | 19 | 29 | 25 | 13 | 2 |
|
Maritime (N.Y.) (1-0,0-0 Skyline) | 16 | 25 | 31 | 21 | 15 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (1-1,0-0 Great Northe) | 25 | 25 | 27 | 3 |
|
Mass. Maritime (0-1,0-0 MASCAC) | 21 | 15 | 25 | 0 |
THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Mitchell College women's volleyball team opened its 2025 season on Saturday afternoon with a non-conference tri-match hosted by SUNY Maritime, taking on the Privateers and Massachusetts Maritime Academy inside Riesenberg Gymnasium.
Match 1 – SUNY Maritime 3, Mitchell 2
In a season-opening battle that went the distance, Mitchell fell just short in a five-set thriller. The Mariners took the opening set 25-16, but SUNY Maritime responded to win the next two frames, 25-19 and 31-29. Mitchell forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-21 win in the fourth, but the Privateers held on late to edge out the 15-13 victory.
Mitchell stormed out of the gate with a dominant first set, hitting .212 while limiting the hosts to a .026 attack percentage. Senior Genna Hyde (Cypress, Texas) was unstoppable throughout the match, hammering down a career-high 26 kills to go along with 13 digs and four service aces. Her 26 kills rank fourth all-time in the program's Division III era for a single match.
The third set proved to be the turning point, as both sides traded points in a marathon frame before the Privateers pulled away, 31-29. Refusing to fold, the Mariners answered back to force a fifth, but SUNY Maritime sealed the match behind a late kill from Grace Devaney.
Senior Julia Lent (Miller Place, N.Y.) anchored the defense with a match-high 28 digs, while fellow senior Ali Ortiz (Groton, Conn.) added six service aces and 19 digs. Freshman Cimber Jenkins (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) impressed in her collegiate debut with 12 kills and nine digs, and senior setter Jenna Blankenship (Virden, Ill.) handed out 17 assists.
Match 2 – Mitchell 3, Mass. Maritime 0
Mitchell bounced back in its second match of the day, sweeping Massachusetts Maritime 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 27-25).
Hyde once again led the way with 15 kills, 10 digs, and three aces for a match-high 18 points. Jenkins added eight kills and 10 digs, while Blankenship paced the offense with 13 assists. Junior Kiersten Veenstra (Three Rivers, Mich.) chipped in six assists.
Defensively, the Mariners dug up 54 balls, led by Lent's team-best 14.
The Mariners (1-1, 0-0 GNAC) will open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Wednesday, September 3, when they travel to Norwich University.
