PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (Oct. 13, 2017) – Despite a double-double from freshman Courtney Gebhardt (Bloomingburg, N.Y./Pine Bush), the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (11-25, 9-25, 25-23, 15-25) decision to Pace University on Friday night at Goldstein Fitness Center.
The Mavericks (3-17) have dropped ten matches in a row, while the Setters (7-13) snap a two-match losing streak with the win.
Gebhardt finished with a team-high 11 kills and 19 digs, while junior Kaitlyn Partridge (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) added 11 kills. Junior Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) contributed 28 assists and seven digs and sophomore Gabriella Fernandes (Islip, N.Y./Islip) chipped in ten digs.
Pace was led by Sydney Lecker who had a match-high 15 kills along with 14 digs.
The opening set of the match saw senior Sa'Naya Johnson (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) record the first point with a kill to put Mercy ahead 1-0. The lead did not last long as the Setters followed with a 16-5 run to take a 16-6 lead, forcing a Mavericks timeout. Out of the timeout, Pace ended the frame on a 9-5 spurt to take the first set, 25-11.
Mercy jumped out to a 6-4 lead in set two, but the Setters followed with a 19-1 run to take a commanding 23-7 lead. Pace led the rest of the way to build a 2-0 lead after taking the second set, 25-9.
The Mavericks looked to be on the verge of losing in straight sets, but Mercy had other plans as they opened the third set with an 11-4 lead. Pace battled back and cut the deficit to one, 20-19, after a Mercy attack error. Johnson and Gebhardt followed with back-to-back kills to build the lead to 22-19. The Setters later got back within one, 24-23, before Gebhardt capped off the set with a kill to give the Mavericks a 25-23 set three win.
Mercy looked to prolong the match, but the hosts started the fourth set with a 13-7 lead and did not look back in taking the set, 25-15, to secure the match in four sets.
Mercy hit .054 with 34 kills and 61 digs, while Pace hit .260 with 53 kills and 67 digs.
Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play Georgian Court and Bloomfield at Bloomfield starting at 2 p.m.
