Mallorie Hopkins Records 10th 20-Dig Performance as Volleyball Hosts SCSU
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2013) – Senior Mallorie Hopkins (Commerce, Calif. / Pasadena City College) recorded her 10th 20-dig performance of the season as the Mercy College volleyball team gave the Southern Connecticut State University Owls all they could handle in a 3-1 loss on Tuesday night.
Mercy's record is now 9-13 overall while SCSU improves to 14-9.
SCSU took an early lead in the first set until a three-point run put Mercy ahead, 8-7. The Owls would rattle off an 8-1 run, however, to surge ahead and despite a late Mavericks rally went on to win the set, 25-18.
The second set was tightly contested through a 10-8 Mercy lead, but SCSU exploded for an 11-3 run thanks to a slew of attack errors by the Mavericks and closed out the set, 25-18, to take a 2-0 match lead.
Mercy's offense came alive in the third set, however. Sophomore Hana Brucaj (Shrub Oak, N.Y. / Lakeland) served Mercy to six straight points, including one on a service ace, to take an 8-2 lead. The Mavericks stretched the margin out to seven before the Owls slowly clawed their way back, eventually tying things up at 24-24 to force extra points. The Mavericks responded with an unstoppable kill from junior Brenna White (Gardnerville, Nev. / Douglas) to pull within set point. White stepped to the service line, sent the ball in, and juniors Sonia Morales (San Fernando Calif. / Discovery Prep) and McKenna Ronan (Chandler, Ariz.) combined on the clinching block to win, 26-24, and halve the match deficit.
SCSU recovered to take a 9-5 lead in the fourth set, but Mercy ran off three unanswered points to pull within one. The Owls stretched back out to a 13-10 lead, but again Mercy responded and soon the set was tied, 14-14. After brief runs by each team, the score still remained knotted at 20-20 when Mercy added two more points on Owls attack errors to take a 22-20 lead. SCSU had no intentions of going on to a fifth set, however, and scored five of the final six points, including four on Mavericks attack errors, to seal the 25-23 victory and take the match, 3-1.
White and senior Nicolette Gebhardt (Bloomingburg, N.Y. / Pine Bush) combined to post 36 kills for the Mavericks with White adding 11 digs to record her ninth double-double of the season. Ronan made a whopping 45 assists while Hopkins finished with 21 digs.
Seniors Sarah Beres and Lauren McVey starred for SCSU as each posted double-doubles. Beres led the team with 12 kill, a .290 hitting percentage, 14 digs and five blocks while McVey smacked 11 kills and added 13 digs. Sophomore Taylor Carlson and freshman Nicole Hauser combined for 36 assists.
Head Coach Kelly Wengerter and the Mavericks (9-13 overall, 2-8 ECC) will return to conference play as they host LIU Post (19-6, 8-3) on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
