DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 2, 2019) – Powered by a match-high 13 kills from sophomore Loreto Nunez Casal (Pontevedra, Spain/Sagrado Corazon De Jesus), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-18) victory over ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College on Saturday afternoon at Victory Hall Sports Center.

The Mavericks (11-16, 3-4 ECC) have won two matches in a row and sit two games ahead of the Redhawks (1-20, 1-6 ECC) for the fourth and final ECC Tournament spot with three ECC matches left to play. Mercy also sweeps the season series with Roberts Wesleyan for the first time in program history. The Mavericks also sit one game behind Daemen for the No. 3 seed in the ECC Tournament and will play the Wildcats tomorrow.

Nunez Casal had 13 kills and hit .417 and senior Imani DeBose (Carson, Calif./The College of New Rochelle) had ten kills. Junior Natalia Garcia (Vega Baja, P.R./Turabo University) had a match-high 23 assists with nine digs and junior Adriana Lopez-Soto (Gurabo, P.R./Notre Dame HS) had a team-high ten digs.

Roberts Wesleyan was led by Emily Rowlison and Lauren Norwood who both had a team-high seven kills.

Mercy jumped out to a 7-1 lead in set one following a Jessica Berka (Hicksville, N.Y./St. Dominic) ace. Following a Redhawk timeout, the visitors answered with a 7-2 run to cut the Maverick lead to one, 9-8. Mercy quickly answered with a 12-3 run to take a 21-11 lead. Roberts Wesleyan scored three points in a row to make it 21-14 before Mercy closed out the set with four straight points to earn a 25-14 set one win.

Roberts Wesleyan took a 3-0 lead in set two and led 9-5 before the Mavericks rallied with a 9-2 run, capped off by a DeBose kill, to take a 14-11 lead. After a Redhawk timeout, the visitors scored three straight points to tie the set up at 14-14. However, Mercy went on a 6-3 spurt, finished off by a Nunez Casal ace, which put the Mavericks ahead 20-17. Following another Roberts Wesleyan timeout, Mercy closed the set on a 5-1 run to take the set, 25-18.

Mercy got out to a 7-1 lead in set three and held an 11-3 lead which led to a Redhawk timeout. The Mavericks later increased the lead to 20-8 and held a 22-12 lead after a Nunez Casal kill. Roberts Wesleyan came back on a 6-2 run to make it 24-18, but a service error by the visitors gave the set and match to Mercy.

Mercy hit .359 with 33 kills and 33 digs and Roberts Wesleyan hit .122 with 28 kills and 36 digs.

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