Olson and Velasco Combine for 19 Kills as Volleyball Hosts LIU Post on Senior Night
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 3, 2016) – Despite a match-high 11 kills from sophomore Peyton Olson (Albany, Ore./West Albany) and eight kills from senior Andrea Velasco (Whittier, Calif./Rio Hondo College), the Mercy College volleyball team suffered a 3-0 (17-25, 17-25, 14-25) Senior Night setback to LIU Post on Thursday night at Victory Gymnasium.
In a ceremony prior to the game, Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mercy athletic department recognized the careers of seniors Floriana Rraci (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and Velasco.
The Mavericks (3-17, 2-9 ECC) have dropped six straight matches and finish their home slate 3-6, while the Pioneers (13-12, 6-6 ECC) have won three straight.
Olson hit .276 on the night and added three digs. Sophomore Brianna Heffernan (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) added a match-high-tying 18 digs and sophomore Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) contributed a match-high 27 assists along with 12 digs for a double-double. Rraci finished with eight digs in her final home match as a Maverick. Sophomore Leah Petty (Philadelphia, Pa./Science Leadership Academy) netted seven kills and sophomore Toni Parente (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport) produced six digs.
LIU Post was led by Danielle Valenza who had a team-high ten kills and a match-high-tying 18 digs.
The Mavericks got on the board first in the opening set on a kill by Velasco, but the Pioneers rallied with an 8-2 run to take an 8-3 lead. LIU Post built the lead to 14-5 before Mercy battled back and cut the deficit to six, 22-16, after a kill from Velasco. The Pioneers closed the set with three of the next four points to take a 1-0 lead.
The second set saw LIU Post jump out to an 8-4 lead before the Mavericks fought back and cut the deficit to two, 17-15. However, the Pioneers finished off the set on an 8-2 run to take a 2-0 lead.
Velasco got Mercy on the board first in the third set on another kill, but LIU Post responded with an 11-4 run to take an 11-5 lead. The Mavericks cut the deficit to four, 14-10, following a kill from Olson, but the Pioneers ended the set and match on an 11-4 run to secure the straight-set win.
Mercy hit .123 on the night with 31 kills and 56 digs, while LIU Post hit .273 with 40 kills and 56 digs.
Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, November 5th when they take on NYIT and Dominican at NYIT starting at 11 a.m.
