By Sophia Oppedisano Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams defeated the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers three sets to one in a hard-fought conference match Oct. 16. The Rams entered the match in the loss column, coming off a sweep at the hands of conference opponent Westfield State Oct. 11. Sophomore Natalie Reynolds led the Rams’ charge with 14 kills on 43 attempts, and freshmen Sabrina Stadelman and Sarah Medeiros contributed a combined 44 kill attempts. However, the Rams would fall short in three straight sets. A nail-biter third set had the Rams at a 24-22 lead they could not hold on to, allowing Westfield to edge out a 26-24 victory. Seeking redemption, the Rams hosted the Buccaneers for their third conference match this season. The match began in favor of Mass. Maritime, as the Buccaneers shut down a comeback attempt from the Rams. Framingham crept back from an 18-9 deficit on the backs of Reynolds, Medeiros, Stadelman, and sophomore Emma Dobbins, all of whom contributed kills. Ultimately, the Buccaneers won the battle 25-22. The Rams rallied in the second set, capitalizing on Buccaneer attack errors and securing the set in a decisive 25-17 win on a kill by Dobbins. She recorded a personal season-high 10 kills on the night, along with two blocks and two digs. Junior Captain Carly Beaulieu started the third set with a service ace, one of three she contributed to the set. Freshman Hope Verhoeven followed with a kill, one of her seven of the night, before Reynolds came up big in the front with two back-to-back kills, assisted by junior Captain Stella Bailey, making the score 5-3 Rams. Framingham’s offensive efforts brought the score to 14-9, and Mass. Maritime called a timeout - the reset the Buccaneers needed to find their stride and match the Rams’ effort. Attack errors on Framingham brought the Buccaneers within an inch of taking over the set, shortening the Rams’ advantage to 19-18. The Rams fought for every point on the board, their frustration often evident, but with celebrations increasing in excitement. Reynolds, Dobbins, sophomore Jamie Moniz, and freshman Madysen Cedrone made kills to assist the Rams in a 25-22 win. Verhoeven clinched the set with a kill assisted by Bailey, one of the Rams' biggest cheerleaders. Bailey, always one to offer an excited word of encouragement to her teammates on the court, came up big in the front with a personal season-high 48 assists. She also contributed a service ace and seven digs. Both teams brought the energy to the fourth go-ahead set for the Rams. Reynolds continued her offensive charge with seven of her season-high 18 kills contributing to the final set. Her performance featured a sneaky off-speed tap of the ball over the net. The Rams fought hard to run away with the lead, but attack errors cost them, and the Buccaneers refused to let up. With the score at 21-19, Framingham made their final attack and the match concluded with a service ace from sophomore Anneli DiVirgilio to make the final score 25-20. The ace was one of two from DiVirgilio, along with her 19 digs. Assistant Coach Chelle Manganello said the win showed off the team's communication skills and gave the coaching staff some insight into what lineups are working to keep the Rams in the win column. Manganello said the conference is getting “more competitive,” and the team is figuring out how to rise to the occasion in conference matchups. Bailey said, “It was a bit of a tough game. … Everything has to be 110%. We have to move our feet to every ball. … We need to work hard for everything. Once [we] recognize that, we start getting better,” she added. Bailey said the team must continue to support each other moving forward because “everything is for each other.” The Rams’ conference record is 1-2, and their overall record is 6-13 as they prepare for a non-conference doubleheader against Bay Path University and Anna Maria College Oct. 19.