EASTON, Mass. (Sept. 15, 2019) – Despite a team-high 28 kills on the day from senior Imani DeBose (Carson, Calif./The College of New Rochelle), the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 17-25, 18-25) to Stonehill College before suffering a 3-1 (28-26, 14-25, 21-25, 13-25) setback to University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Sunday afternoon at Stonehill College.
The Mavericks (3-5) have dropped three matches in a row, while the Skyhawks (4-1) picked up their fourth win and the Mountain Cats (5-2) earned their fifth win.
Match 1: Stonehill 3, Mercy 1
The score was tied at 11-11 in the first set after a senior NeKendra Liddie (Gardena, Calif./The College of New Rochelle) kill. The Skyhawks responded with a 5-0 run to take a 16-11 lead. A kill from junior Natalia Garcia (Vega Baja, P.R./Turabo University) made it 16-12 before Stonehill answered by taking a 22-14 lead. Mercy made it 22-18 following a sophomore Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) kill, forcing a Skyhawk timeout. Out of the timeout, Stonehill scored three of the final four points to take the first set, 25-19.
The second set was tied at 3-3 before the Skyhawks went on a 10-3 run to take a 13-6 lead. Mercy continued to battle back and went on a 14-6 run, capped off by a sophomore Sophia Flanders (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) ace, which gave Mercy a 20-19 lead. Stonehill retook the lead at 21-20 before the Mavericks closed out the set with five of the final seven points to secure the second set, 25-23.
Stonehill took a 7-1 lead in set three and led 12-6 before Mercy closed the deficit to three, 19-16. The Skyhawks ended the set on a 6-1 run to take the third set, 25-17.
The hosts held an 8-6 lead in set four and later increased the lead to 17-10. Mercy got within six, 24-18, late but an Amanda Maier kill gave Stonehill the set and match.
DeBose had a team-high 11 kills and Vulic had ten kills and five digs. Garcia had seven kills, 30 assists and 11 digs. Flanders and junior Adriana Lopez-Soto (Gurabo, P.R./Notre Dame HS) both had nine digs.
Stonehill was led by Abby Remick who had a match-high 21 kills.
Match 2: Pittsburgh-Johnstown 3, Mercy 1
The opening set was tied at 9-9 before the Mavericks went on a 5-2 spurt to take a 14-11 lead after a Garcia ace. Mercy later held a 19-16 lead before the Mountain Cats responded with a 4-0 run to take a 20-19 lead. The Mavericks regrouped and followed with three straight points to take a 22-20 lead. Mercy later held a 23-21 lead following a Garcia block before Pitt-Johnstown followed with two straight points to tie the set up at 23-23. Mercy later secured the set 28-26 on back-to-back kills from Vulic and Lopez-Soto to take a 1-0 lead.
The Mountain Cats took an 8-4 lead in set two and led 16-12 before ending the set on a 9-2 run to take the set, 25-14.
The third set was tied at 16-16 before Pitt-Johnstown followed with two straight points to take an 18-16 lead. Mercy answered by tying the set up at 19-19, but the Mountain Cats ended the set on a 6-2 run to take the third set, 25-21.
Pitt-Johnstown took a 9-2 lead in set four and led the rest of the way, taking the set 25-13 to secure the match in four sets.
DeBose had a match-high-tying 17 kills and Lopez-Soto had 18 digs. Vulic had ten kills and 11 digs and Garcia had nine kills, 28 assists and 11 digs.
Pitt-Johnstown was led by Jaden Gray who had a match-high-tying 17 kills.
Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, September 18th when they host Pace for a CODA Awareness Game at 7 p.m.
