Heffernan Records Match-High 23 Digs as Volleyball Faces Molloy
Box Score ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2015) – Despite a match-high 23 digs from freshman Brianna Heffernan (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) and a team-high nine kills from freshman Peyton Olson (Albany, Ore./West Albany), the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a, 3-0 (23-25, 19-25, 19-25), decision to Molloy College in East Coast Conference (ECC) action on Thursday night at Quealy Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (5-13, 1-5 ECC) fail to build off their win on Tuesday, while the Lions (4-14, 2-4 ECC) have won two of their last three matches.
Also contributing for Mercy was freshman Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) who finished with 25 assists and seven digs, while sophomore Sa'Naya Johnson (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) ended the contest with eight kills. Junior Andrea Velasco (Whittier, Calif./Rio Hondo College) chipped in 13 digs and freshman Eva Marie Lynch (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall) and senior Abigail Foti (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) each slammed home four kills.
Molloy was led by Cassie Palmer and Carly Banks who had 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
The Mavericks entered the contest off their first ECC win of the season on Tuesday at home against Queens and got off to a good start in the opening set as they started off with a 12-8 lead. However, the Lions went on a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the set at 13-12. Mercy came back and retook the lead late in the set, but Molloy responded with six of the last seven points of the frame to comeback and take the first set.
The Lions carried the momentum from the first set win to the second set as they started the set with a 7-1 lead. Mercy ensued with a 9-5 run to get within two, 12-10, but that was the closest the Mavericks got as Molloy built a 2-0 lead.
The third set was tied at 4-4 following a Lynch kill before the Lions followed with a 10-0 spurt that gave them a 14-4 advantage, and they held off a late Mercy rally to seal the win.
The Mavericks hit .131 on the night with 32 kills and 61 digs, while the home team finished with a .203 hitting percentage along with 44 kills and 69 digs.
Head Coach Kelly Wengerter and the Mavericks return to action on Saturday, October 10th as they take part in a tri-match at Assumption College beginning with a matchup against Saint Rose at 3 p.m.
