DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 3, 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 (25-21, 25-21, 25-16) victory over ECC foe Daemen College on Sunday afternoon to secure their first ECC Tournament berth since 2008.

The Mavericks (12-16, 4-4 ECC) have won three matches in a row and defeat the Wildcats (14-9, 4-4 ECC) for the first time since 2014. Mercy currently sits in a tie for third in the ECC standings with the top four making the conference tournament.

Nunez Casal had 13 kills and junior Natalia Garcia (Vega Baja, P.R./Turabo University) had 26 assists and six digs. Senior Imani DeBose (Carson, Calif./The College of New Rochelle) had nine kills and junior Adriana Lopez-Soto (Gurabo, P.R./Notre Dame HS) had seven digs.

Daemen was led by Ali Cousins who had a team-high 11 kills.

The Wildcats took a 5-1 lead in set one leading to a Mercy timeout. After the timeout, the Mavericks responded by tying the set up at 17-17 after a Nunez Casal ace. Daemen later took a 19-18 lead, but back-to-back kills from DeBose gave Mercy a 20-19 lead. The Wildcats tied the set up at 20-20 before the Mavericks answered with three straight points, capped off by a Nunez Casal kill, to take a 23-20 lead. Daemen made it 23-21, but Mercy scored the final two points to take the first set 25-21.

The second set saw the teams tied at 11-11 before Mercy went on a 9-2 run to build a 20-13 lead. The Wildcats battled back and cut the deficit to three, 23-20, before Nunez Casal recorded another kill to make it 24-20. A service error by the Mavericks made it 24-21 before Nunez Casal finished off the set with a kill to give Mercy a 25-21 set two win.

The teams were tied at 9-9 in set three before Mercy went on a 5-0 run to take a 14-9 lead. Daemen made it 16-12 before the Mavericks put forth six straight points, capped off by a NeKendra Liddie (Gardena, Calif./The College of New Rochelle) kill, to take a 22-12 lead. The Wildcats later made it 23-16 before a block by Liddie and a kill from DeBose gave the Mavericks the set and match.

Mercy hit .377 with 33 kills and 26 digs and Daemen hit .198 with 44 kills and 37 digs.

Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, November 5th when they host Molloy at 7 p.m.