NEW LONDON, N.H. – November 6, 2015 – The Colby-Sawyer College and Maine Maritime women's volleyball teams will meet for the fifth straight season in Saturday's 2015 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship match after each earning a win in the semifinals, Friday evening.

The tournament's top seed, Colby-Sawyer, earned a 3-0 sweep over fourth seed Lyndon by scores of 25-12, 25-15 and 25-4. Second seed Maine Maritime came back after dropping the first set to defeat third seed Castleton 3-1 by scores of 24-26, 25-17, 25-19 and 25-19.

First serve of the championship match tomorrow is scheduled for 11:30 am. Follow the action with live video at NSN 

Colby-Sawyer 3, Lyndon 0 – 25-12, 25-15, 25-4

Colby-Sawyer (11-24) advanced to the NAC Championship for the fifth straight season with Friday night's 3-0 win over fourth seed Lyndon (7-13). The Chargers hit .284 as a team.

The first eight points of the opening set were split among the teams as each side tried to get into the flow of the match. Colby-Sawyer used a 5-1 burst capped by a Kelsey Sullivan (Laconia, N.H.) kill to take a 9-5 lead. The Chargers continued to slowly increase their lead until Lyndon was forced to take a timeout with the score 17-9 in favor of the home team. Colby-Sawyer finished the set on an 8-3 run and won 25-12 after a Lyndon attack error.

Lyndon came out strong in the second set and took a 9-4 lead after a service ace from freshman Samantha Theriault (West Ossipee, N.H.). The Chargers were able to come back and tie the set at 10-10 after a pair of Hornet errors. Colby-Sawyer then took command with a 22-15 advantage forcing another Lyndon timeout. The Chargers closed the set with a pair of Kelsey McCulley (Southampton, N.Y.) aces and a kill from freshman Gabrielle Ratte (Kula, Hawaii).

Colby-Sawyer scored the first five points of the third set and never looked back. After a Lyndon point, the Chargers, behind strong serving from Kelsey Sullivan, rattled off 13 straight points to take an 18-1 lead. A McCulley kill ended the set 25-4 and the match 3-0.

Sophomore Alli Lahiff (Haverhill, Mass.) led all players with nine kills on an impressive .600 hitting. Ratte had eight kills, while Sullivan, McCulley and freshman Courtney Murray (Quincy, Mass.) had six kills apiece. Sophomore Lexi Strong (Somersworth, N.H.) had a match best 12 digs, while senior Laura Smolinski (Hebron, Conn.) collected 27 assists.

Abbey Greene (Exeter, R.I.) tied for the team lead with three kills. Senior Laura Drake (Hinsdale, Mass.) had five assists, five digs and two aces. Senior Ashley Barski (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) registered a team best 11 digs and had three kills.

Maine Maritime 3, Castleton 1 – 24-26, 25-17, 25-19, 25-19

The Mariners were paced by NAC Player of the Year Gillian O'Neal (Burbank, Calif.) who recorded a match best 16 kills and 19 digs. NAC Rookie of the Year Tess Clark (Spring, Texas) collected 15 kills and 14 digs in her NAC Tournament debut. Senior Jessica Menges (Old Forge, N.Y.) also reached double figures with 12 kills and 16 digs. Freshman setter Melissa Spaulding (Fairbanks, Alaska) tallied 46 assists and 13 digs.

Castleton was led by a nine-kill, 17-dig effort from junior Brittany Brayman (Hartford, N.Y.). Junior setter registered a double-double of 16 assists and 12 digs. Senior Amanda Chambers (Lake George, N.Y.) had 17 digs and five kills.
The first set was back and forth and featured 13 ties. With the score tied at 24-24, Castleton benefited from a pair of Maine Maritime miscues to win the set 26-24.

Maine Maritime came out of the set break with a lot of energy and led the rest of the way after the score was tied 1-1. A Menges kill gave the Mariners a 22-16 and propelled the second seed to a 25-17 after a few Castleton miscues.
The Spartans raced out to a 6-0 lead in the third set forcing an early Mariner timeout. The lead ballooned to 10-2 after a dual block from Brayman and Cassidy Tedeschi (Pascoag, R.I.). Maine Maritime began to chip away thereafter and wound up regaining the lead at 14-13 after a Gillian O'Neal ace. The Mariners took control from that moment and ended the set on 11-6 run.

With a trip to the NAC title match on the line, the Mariners began the fourth set with a 3-1 deficit but quickly rebounded with a 5-1 spurt capped by a Melissa Spaulding ace. Maine Maritime would lead for the remainder of the set and take the match on a Menges kill. 
 
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