BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2018) – Despite a combined 26 digs from senior Neysha Gonzalez (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) and sophomore Leilani Vazquez (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Adelphi University), the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (26-28, 19-25, 18-25) decision to ECC foe LIU Post on Friday night.

The Mavericks (3-11, 1-3 ECC) have dropped two matches in a row, while the Pioneers (11-6, 3-1 ECC) have won three of their last four matches.

Gonzalez had a team-high 14 digs and Vazquez added 12 digs and a team-high-tying four kills. Sophomore Nichole Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Academia Discipulos de Cristo) also had four kills and freshman Loreto Nunez Casal (Pontevedra, Spain/Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) finished with four kills. Senior Brooke Runge (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Demarest) ended the night with a team-high nine assists.

LIU Post was led by Rachel Londot who had a double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 13-9 lead in set one, but the Mavericks would respond with an 11-4 run to take a 20-17 lead, forcing an LIU Post timeout. Mercy held a 23-20 lead late in the set after a Kaitlyn Partridge (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College) kill. The Pioneers responded with three straight points to tie the set up at 23-23. Mercy retook the lead after a service error and needed one point to win the set. The hosts came right back with two more unanswered points to take a 25-24 lead. The Mavericks would tie the set up at 25-25 and the score was tied at 26-26 before the Pioneers rattled off two straight points to take the first set, 28-26.

LIU Post jumped out to an 11-3 lead in set two, but the Mavericks would battle back and cut the deficit to three, 13-10, after a Rivera Maldonado kill. However, that would be the closest Mercy could get as the Pioneers earned a 25-19 victory in set two.

The final set saw the teams tied at 13-13, but LIU Post responded with a 6-1 run to build a 19-14 edge, leading to a Mercy timeout. The Pioneers led the rest of the way in taking the set, 25-18.

Mercy hit .121 with 19 kills and 45 digs and LIU Post hit .270 with 62 kills and 64 digs.

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