DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 21, 2018) – Powered by a match-high 14 kills from sophomore Leilani Vazquez (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Adelphi University) and a match-high 21 digs from senior Neysha Gonzalez (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-5) victory over ECC foe Queens College on Friday night in the first match at the newly renovated Victory Gym.

The Mavericks (3-9, 1-1 ECC) pick up their first ECC win, while the Knights (1-10, 0-2 ECC) remain winless in ECC action.

Vazquez hit .333 and added five digs and Gonzalez dished out six assists and had two aces. Senior Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) had a match-high-tying 17 assists and three digs. Senior Kaitlyn Partridge (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) recorded seven kills and five blocks.

Queens was led by Leeks Hollis who had a team-high eight kills.

Playing in front of a packed gym and an energetic home crowd, the Mavericks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set after back-to-back kills from freshman Loreto Nunez Casal (Pontevedra, Spain/Sagrado Corazon de Jesus). Mercy held an 11-6 lead after a Natalia Garcia (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Turabo University) kill, but the Knights would storm back to take a 19-16 lead. The Mavericks answered with three straight points to tie the set at 19-19, but Queens answered with a 3-1 run to take a 22-20 lead, forcing a Mercy timeout. Out of the timeout, Mercy went on a 4-1 run to take a 24-23 lead after a Sarah Watson (Maple Creek, Saskatchewan/Maple Creek) kill. The Knights came back with two more points to take a 25-24 lead, but the Mavericks in front of an electric crowd would close out the set with three straight points to take the set, 27-25.

Mercy picked up where they left off, jumping out to a 9-4 lead in set two, leading to a Queens timeout. The Mavericks responded out of the timeout by increasing the lead to 19-10 and would cruise to a 25-13 win in the second set.

The final set saw the Mavericks dominate with Mercy jumping out to a 20-3 lead after a Sophia Flanders (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) kill. The Mavericks increased the lead to 20, 24-4, and held on for a 25-5 set three victory to secure the match.

Mercy hit .312 with 39 kills and 45 digs and Queens hit .011 with 20 kills and 35 digs.

Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host Molloy at 12 p.m.