Trio of Mavericks Smack Double-Digit Kills as Volleyball Hangs Tight With ECC Foe NYIT
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 19, 2012) – Sophomore outside hitter Brenna White (Gardnerville, Nev.) just missed a double-double, leading a trio of Mavericks to break double-digits in kills as the Mercy College volleyball team hung tight with East Coast Conference foe NYIT on Friday night.
Both teams traded points to open the first set until the Bears rode a 9-1 run out to a 19-12 lead and closed out the set, 25-15, behind a ridiculous team .565 hitting percentage. Mercy responded by jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the second set and held on to win, 25-21, thanks to a .483 hitting percentage, leveling the match at 1-1. The Mavericks rode their momentum into the third set, building up to a 10-5 lead. NYIT finally found its game, however, and rattled off a 16-3 run to turn the set upside down. The Bears closed the set out, 25-19, and after an early challenge from Mercy in the fourth took another 9-3 run out to a 20-14 lead and capped the match with the 25-18 victory.
Mercy drops to 3-18 overall and 0-10 in ECC play while NYIT improves to 15-5 (7-2) and is 0.5 matches behind the University of Bridgeport in the ECC standings.
White led the Mavericks with 19 kills, just missing her seventh 20-kill match of the year, and made eight digs to come up just shy of her seventh double-double as well. Sophomore setter McKenna Ronan (Chandler, Ariz.) recorded her fifth 40-assist performance of the season, making 43 assists and adding three service aces. Junior outside hitter Nicolette Gebhardt (Pine Bush, N.Y.) and junior middle blocker Nicole Pepe (East Meadow, N.Y.) smacked 12 and 11 kills, respectively, while junior libero Kirstie Zubiate (Salinas, Calif.) and freshman outside hitter Abi Foti (Bedford, N.H.) recorded nine digs apiece.
White's 19 kills bring her career total to 983, leaving her just 17 shy of her 1,000th career kill.
Junior outside hitter Savannah Donarski (Powell, Wyo.) led a trio of Bears who posted double-digit kills with 16 while graduate student setter Damla Albayrak (Istanbul, Turkey) made 49 assists, senior libero Tugce Sirdas (Istanbul, Turkey) recorded 15 digs and freshman middle hitter Kate Brock (River Edge, N.J.) made2.5 total blocks.
Head Coach Taneisha Cantave and the Mavericks will head to LIU Post (17-10, 7-3) on Tuesday, Oct. 23 for a 7:00 p.m. ECC matchup.
