DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 4, 2021) – The Mercy College volleyball team plays at ECC foe Queens on Tuesday, October 5th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 5th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (6-7, 2-0 ECC), Queens (2-10, 1-2 ECC)
Location: Flushing, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Queens
Mercy earned a 3-0 win over Queens on November 16, 2019.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 3-1 win over Molloy on Wednesday. The Mavericks were led by senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado who had a team-high 16 kills and by junior Larissa Schneid who had 13 kills and 14 digs. Junior Yarianne Gonzalez had 42 assists and 16 digs and senior Sophia Flanders had 20 digs. The Mavericks defeated the defending ECC and East Region Champions Molloy for the first time since 2016 and the Mavericks have started 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2005. Mercy is looking to start 3-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2005. The Mavericks are also looking to get off to their best 14-match start since 2005. Gonzalez has been named ECC Setter of the Week once, Schneid has been named to the ECC Honor Roll four times and Rivera Maldonado and senior Tynesha Adams have been named to the Honor Roll once. Schneid leads the team with 155 kills, 155 digs and 3.16 kills per set. Adams leads the team with 34 blocks and is third with 100 kills. Rivera Maldonado is second on the team with 127 kills and fifth with 101 digs. Gonzalez has a team-high 448 assists with 154 digs. Gonzalez ranks second in the ECC in assists per set (9.14). Senior Sophia Flanders ranks third on the team in digs with 140 and senior Selma Vulic has 104 digs. Mercy as a team is third in the ECC in digs per set (15.9) and second in service aces per set (1.98).
The Mavericks went 14-18 in 2019 and made their first ECC Championship appearance since 2008. Mercy also finished .500 or better in ECC play for the first time since 2005. The Mavericks have been picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll and first-year Head Coach Gary Preston Jr. has four returners from the 2019 team and has 11 student-athletes who will see their first match action as Mavericks during the 2021 season. Leading the returners are Vulic, Flanders and Stéphanie Lankhorst. Vulic was named ECC Rookie of the Week five times in 2019 and was third on the team in kills and digs. Flanders has appeared in 49 matches in two seasons and has 267 career digs. Lankhorst was named ECC Rookie of the Week once as a freshman in 2019, led the team in aces and was second in blocks. Also returning is junior Ayzaline Garay who appeared in 17 matches in 2019. Adams joined the program last year but is seeing her first game action for the Mavericks. She had 89 kills, 45 digs and 49 blocks in 2019 at Division I Bethune Cookman University. Rivera Maldonado also joined the program last year and had 72 kills and 51 digs in 2019. Gonzalez transfers in from Monroe College after playing 41 matches with 656 assists and 53 aces in 2019. Schneid joins the program from Iowa Western Community College where she played in 32 matches in two seasons with 89 kills and 56 digs. Junior Tanializ Rivera joins the Mavericks from Concordia College where she had 232 kills, 71 digs and 37 blocks. Also seeing their first match action this year are sophomores Jessica Angounou and Lizbeth Sosa and freshmen Julianne Fernandez, Jaelyn Ríos and Sydney Whitfield.
Scouting the Knights
Queens is coming off a 3-0 loss at Bridgeport on Wednesday. The Knights enter Tuesday's match with a 2-10 record overall and 1-2 mark in ECC play. Queens' lone wins have come against Caldwell and ECC foe D'Youville. Queens was picked sixth in the ECC Coaches' Poll after going 2-19 in 2019. The Knights are led by freshman Christina Franco who has a team-high 94 kills with 127 digs. Junior Dee-Ana Mitchell has 73 kills and sophomore Leila Hadjeb has a team-high 144 digs. Sophomore Jorden Warthen has a team-high 136 assists and sophomore Alexis Deodat has a team-high 26 blocks.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Saturday, October 9th when they host Daemen at 12 p.m.
