Gebhardt Leads Volleyball Against ECC Rival Bridgeport Purple Knights
Box Score BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Senior Nicolette Gebhardt (Bloomingburg, N.Y.) led the Mercy College volleyball team with another impressive .364 hitting percentage as the Mavericks fell at East Coast Conference rival the University of Bridgeport, 3-0, on Friday night.
Mercy's record now stands at 8-11 overall and 1-7 in ECC play while Bridgeport improves to 9-2 (7-1).
The Purple Knights took an early 4-0 lead to start the first set and led throughout, finishing things up on a 12-2 run to win, 25-13, and take a 1-0 lead in the match. Bridgeport carried the momentum into the next set, again jumping out to an early 6-1 lead and extending it to 20-10 before Mercy unleashed a 9-2 rally to cut the deficit to three. Bridgeport recovered to close out the set, 25-19, but the Mavericks had proven that they were not about to bow out of the match. Mercy fought back from another early five-point deficit at 11-6 to tie things up at 11-11 in the third set and traded points until trailing by one at 17-18, but the Purple Knights would score the final seven to take the set, 25-17, and the match.
Gebhardt led the Mavericks with nine kills while junior McKenna Ronan (Chandler, Ariz. / Seton Catholic Prep) made 25 assists. Senior Mallorie Hopkins (Commerce, Calif. / Pasadena City College) and freshman Floriana Rraci (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. / Walter Panas) each recorded six digs.
Sophomore Sarah Rosa and junior Larissa Oliveira led the Purple Knights with 13 and 11 kills, respectively, with juniors Biljana Savic and Ying Shen also posting nine and eight kills, respectively, as Bridgeport hit a combined .429 as a team. Savic and senior Fernanda Silva combined for 39 assists while Shen led the squad with 10 digs.
Head Coach Kelly Wengerter and the Mavericks will host ECC rival Queens College (8-8, 2-6) on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.
