Heffernan Records Team-High 16 Digs as Volleyball Concludes Season at Daemen
Box Score AMHERST, N.Y. (Nov. 13, 2016) – Despite a team-high 16 digs from sophomore Brianna Heffernan (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip), the Mercy College volleyball team concluded its 2016 season with a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 8-25, 11-25) setback to first-place Daemen College in an ECC matchup on Sunday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (4-20, 2-12 ECC) end the season on a two-match losing streak, while the Wildcats (22-6, 13-1 ECC) head into the conference tournament on a 14-match winning streak.
Sophomore Peyton Olson (Albany, Ore./West Albany) added a team-high-tying seven kills, while freshman Gabriella Fernandes (Islip, N.Y./Islip) also had seven kills along with seven digs. Senior Andrea Velasco (Whittier, Calif./Rio Hondo College) ended her career with six kills and 11 digs and sophomore Toni Parente (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport) dished out a team-high 14 assists and added nine digs and four kills.
Daemen was led by Amber Drzymala who had a match-high 19 kills to go along with 18 digs.
The opening set of the match saw the Wildcats jump out to a 7-3 lead, but the Mavericks would battle back and tie the set up at 15-15 following an Olson kill. Daemen followed with a 10-2 run to close the set, taking a 1-0 lead.
Mercy fell behind 9-2 in the second set and looked to be on the verge of falling down 2-0, but the Mavericks came back with a 16-7 run to take an 18-16 lead late in the set. Mercy built the lead up to 24-20 after a Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) kill before Rachel Stephenson recorded a kill to make it 24-21. Velasco followed with a kill to give the Mavericks the set and tie the match up at 1-1.
After Mercy took the second set, the first-place Wildcats surrendered the first point of the third set, but responded with a 25-7 run to secure the set and take a 2-1 advantage.
The Mavericks jumped out to a 2-1 lead in set four after a kill by Fernandes, but Daemen ensued with a 21-7 run to take a 22-9 lead and they held on for the four-set victory.
Mercy hit .054 on the day with 28 kills and 54 digs, while Daemen hit .321 with 58 kills and 72 digs.
