DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2021) – The Mercy College volleyball team hosts ECC foe Daemen on Saturday, October 9th at 12 p.m. before hosting D'Youville in an ECC matchup on Sunday, October 10th at 1 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, October 9th 12 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-7, 3-0 ECC), Daemen (9-6, 3-0 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Sunday, October 10th 1 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-7, 3-0 ECC), D'Youville (2-11, 1-2 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Daemen
Mercy earned a 3-0 victory over Daemen on November 3, 2019.
Last Meeting vs. D'Youville
First Meeting
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a straight-set win over Queens on Tuesday. The Mavericks were led by senior Sophia Flanders who had a match-high 16 digs and by junior Stéphanie Lankhorst who had a match-high nine kills. Junior Yarianne Gonzalez had a match-high 25 assists and junior Ayzaline Garay had 13 digs. The Mavericks are off to their best start since 2005 and look to start 5-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2001. Gonzalez has been named ECC Setter of the Week once, junior Larissa Schneid has been named to the ECC Honor Roll five times and senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado has been named to the ECC Honor Roll twice. Senior Tynesha Adams was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday and has been named to the Honor Roll once. Schneid leads the team with 161 kills, 166 digs and 3.10 kills per set. Adams leads the team with 37 blocks and is third with 106 kills. Rivera Maldonado is second on the team with 135 kills and fifth with 103 digs. Gonzalez has a team-high 473 assists with 161 digs. Gonzalez ranks second in the ECC in assists per set (9.10). Senior Sophia Flanders ranks third on the team in digs with 156 and senior Selma Vulic has 108 digs. Mercy as a team is third in the ECC in digs per set (16.1) 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 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 Jaelyn Ríos and Sydney Whitfield.
Scouting the Wildcats
Daemen will play at Edinboro on Thursday before facing Mercy on Saturday. The Wildcats enter the Edinboro match on a two-match winning streak and are 3-0 in ECC play. Daemen was picked second in the ECC Coaches' Poll after going 16-12 in 2019. The Wildcats are led by senior Caitlyn Meyer who has a team-high 199 kills and leads the ECC with 3.69 kills per set. Senior Sam Logan is second on the team with 104 kills and sophomore Vanessa Kuliga has 103 kills. Sophomore Jasmine Brundage has a team-high 225 digs and sophomore Olivia Alessi has 495 assists. Junior Loren Alberts has a team-high 41 blocks on the year.
Scouting the Saints
D'Youville will play at Bridgeport on Saturday before facing Mercy on Sunday. The Saints are coming off a 3-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Tuesday for their first ECC win. D'Youville was picked seventh in the ECC Preseason Poll and both of their wins this season have come against Roberts Wesleyan. The Saints are led by freshman Eve Musielak who has a team-high 68 kills with 66 digs. Sophomore Brianna Damstetter is second with 63 kills and freshman Samantha Killane leads the team with 157 digs. Freshman Emma Wlostowski has a team-high 287 assists and Damstetter leads the team with 21 blocks.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Tuesday, October 12th when they play at Southern Connecticut State at 7 p.m.
