DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 10, 2018) – Led by seven different Mavericks recording a kill, the Mercy College volleyball team defeated ECC foe University of Bridgeport for the first time since 2005 with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 27-25) victory over the Purple Knights on Wednesday night at Victory Gym.
The Mavericks (7-13, 4-4 ECC) continue their best start since 2013 and have their most ECC wins since 2011. Mercy is also off to their best ECC start since 2005 and match their win total from all of last year. The Mavericks currently sit alone in fifth place in the ECC standings just one game back for the fourth and final ECC Tournament spot. The Purple Knights (11-7, 5-3 ECC) have now dropped two of their last three matches.
Senior Leah Petty (Philadelphia, Pa./Science Leadership Academy) led the way for Mercy with a match-high 11 kills. Senior Neysha Gonzalez (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) added a team-high 14 digs and senior Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) dished out a team-high 26 assists. Sophomore Leilani Vazquez (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Adelphi University) recorded eight kills and ten digs and freshman Sarah Watson (Maple Creek, Saskatchewan/Maple Creek) had nine kills. Senior Kaitlyn Partridge (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) finished with three kills and five blocks. Freshman Loreto Nunez Casal (Pontevedra, Spain/Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) had three kills and seven blocks and sophomore Adriana Lopez-Soto (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame HS) ended the night with nine digs.
Bridgeport was led by Emily Burford who had a team-high ten kills.
The Purple Knights scored the first two points of the opening set, but the Mavericks responded with a 6-2 run to build a 6-4 lead after a Petty kill. Bridgeport regrouped and later took an 11-10 lead on a Morgan Knight kill. The score was tied at 14-14 before Mercy went on a 5-1 run to build a 19-15 lead after a Petty kill. Bridgeport cut the deficit to two on four separate occasions, but the Mavericks would hold on for the 25-21 set one win.
Bridgeport took a 7-3 lead in set two leading to a Mercy timeout. Out of the timeout, the Purple Knights built the lead to 10-3, but the Mavericks clawed their way back into the match and went on a 16-5 run to take a 19-15 lead, forcing a Bridgeport timeout. Mercy increased the lead to 22-15 on another Petty kill and would lead the rest of the way in taking the set, 25-19.
Mercy took a 5-0 lead in set three, but the Purple Knights responded with an 11-6 spurt to tie the set up at 11-11. The match was tied at 19-19 before the Mavericks rattled off two straight points to take a 21-19 lead. Mercy built a 23-20 advantage, but Bridgeport stormed back with four straight points to take a 24-23 lead. The Purple Knights held a 25-24 lead late, but the Mavericks followed with three straight points to take the set and match.
Mercy hit .180 with 37 kills and 50 digs and Bridgeport hit .129 with 39 kills and 52 digs.
Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, October 12th when they host Nyack at 6 p.m.
