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            GORHAM, Maine -- Junior outside hitter Chelsea Ward (Homer, Alaska) had a match-high 16 kills to lead the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners to a 3-0 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies Saturday in the final match of the USM Invitational at Hill Gymnasium.  The Mariners defeated USM 25-9, 25-22 and 25-18.  

            In the first match of the day, the Huskies fell to Salem State College, 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 15-13).  USM, which lost the opening match of the tournament Friday night to the University of New England, was 0-3 for the tournament and is 0-4 on the season.

            Ward hit an outstanding .538 with 16 kills on 26 attempts and two errors.  Freshman middle hitter Melissa Lail (Elizabeth, Colo.) added nine kills on 15 attempts and three errors for a solid .400 hitting percentage. 

            Southern Maine senior Shannon Shuttle (New Ipswich, N.H./Mascenic Regional) led the Huskies with five kills, six assists and five digs in the loss.

            In the Huskies first match of the day, Salem State junior middle hitter Shannon Malone (North Quincy, Mass.) paced the Vikings with a team-high nine kills.  Malone hit a solid .364 on 22 attempts with just one error.  Junior setter Jazmin Barrows (New Bedford, Mass.) and junior outside hitter Rachel Murphy (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) each had seven kills and five service aces, while Barrows had a match-high 15 assists.

            Shuttle led the Huskies with nine kills, 14 assists and five kills against the Vikings.  Senior middle hitter Danielle Netland (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) tossed in eight kills, 10 digs and three blocks. 

            Salem State finished the tournament 1-2 with a 3-0 loss to Maine Maritime (25-15, 25-23, 25-18), while the Mariners finished 2-1.  The University of New England finished 3-0, rallying from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Maine Maritime in five games (22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-7), and Salem State in three games (25-8, 25-19, 25-17).

            Southern Maine returns to action on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) at home against Daniel Webster College.  Maine Maritime travels to Western New England College on Friday (7:00 p.m.), and Salem State hosts Eastern Nazarene College on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.).

USM Invitational

At Gorham, Maine

Match One            1            2            3            4            5            Final

Salem State (1-0)            23            25            25            20            15            3

Southern Maine (0-3)            25            20            18            25            13            2

Match Two            1            2            3            4            5            Final

University of New England (2-0)            22            18            25            25            15            3

Maine Maritime  (0-1)            25            25            22            18            7            2

Match Three            1            2            3            Final

Salem State (1-1)            15             23            18            0

Maine Maritime (1-1)            25            25            25            3

Match Four            1            2            3            Final

Salem State (1-2)            8            19            17            0

University of New England (3-0)             25            25            25            3

Match Five            1            2            3            Final

Maine Maritime  (2-1)            25             25             25            3

Southern Maine  (0-4)            9            22            19            0

-cac-