VALHALLA, N.Y. (Sept. 16, 2017) – Powered by a team-high 19 kills on the day from senior Sa'Naya Johnson (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) and a team-high 24 digs from junior Neysha Gonzalez (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-18, 16-25, 25-19, 25-23) victory over Felician University and a 3-0 (25-14, 25-8, 25-18) victory over Cheyney University in their home opener on Saturday afternoon at Westchester Community College.
The Mavericks (3-7) are now one win away from matching their win total from all of last year, while the Golden Falcons (1-5) defeated the Wolves (0-4) in the other match of the day.
Mercy 3, Felician 1
The opening set of the day saw the Mavericks jump out to a 10-6 lead after a freshman Courtney Gebhardt (Bloomingburg, N.Y./Pine Bush) service ace, forcing a Felician timeout. Out of the timeout, Mercy increased their advantage to 17-10, leading to another Golden Falcons timeout. Felician would cut the deficit to 20-17, but that would be the closest they got as the Mavericks closed out the set on a 5-1 run to take a 1-0 lead.
Felician regrouped in the second set and jumped out to a 10-2 lead earlier on. Mercy battled back and got within, 13-11, after a Nichole Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Academia Discipulos de Cristo) kill. However, the Golden Falcons closed out the set on a 12-5 run to take the second set and square the match at 1-1.
The visitors got off to a good start in the third set, taking an early 8-2 lead. The Mavericks did not go down quietly and quickly followed with an17-10 run that gave them the lead for good, giving them a 2-1 lead in the match.
Mercy fell behind 15-8 in the fourth and looked to be on the verge of dropping the set, but the Mavericks had other plans and ensued with 13-5 run to take a 21-20 lead, forcing a Felician timeout. Following the timeout, Felician tied the set up at 21-21, but Mercy closed out the match with four of the final six points to earn the win.
Junior Kaitlyn Partridge (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) had a team-high 12 kills and Johnson had 11 kills. Junior Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) had 34 assists and nine digs and Gebhardt finished with nine kills and 14 digs. Gonzalez finished with 15 digs and Rivera Maldonado had six kills.
Felician was led by Paulina Calero who had a match-high 14 kills.
Mercy 3, Cheyney 0
The second match of the day saw the Mavericks cruise to their second straight win. The score was tied at 5-5 early on in the first set before Mercy took control and ended the stanza on a 20-9 run to take the first set, 25-14.
The second set saw the Mavericks jump out to a 16-7 lead after a Gebhardt kill, leading to a Cheyney timeout. After the timeout, Mercy finished off the set on a 9-1 to take a 2-0 lead.
The Mavericks got off to a 14-7 start in the third set and did not look back in securing the match with a 25-18 set three win.
Junior Leah Petty (Philadelphia, Pa./Science Leadership Academy) and Johnson both had eight kills, while Gonzalez had nine digs. Sophomore Jessica Berka (Hicksville, N.Y./St. Dominic's) had a team-high 16 assists and Runge added 11 assists and eight digs. Partridge contributed six kills and sophomore Gabriella Fernandes (Islip, N.Y./Islip) netted five service aces.
Cheyney was led by Alaiya Cave who had four kills.
Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, September 22nd at Daemen at 6 p.m. looking to extend their win streak to three games.
