BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Nov. 12, 2021) – Despite three Mavericks recording double-doubles, the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 22-25, 12-15) decision to ECC foe University of Bridgeport on Friday night at Hubbell Gym.

The Mavericks (13-14, 8-4 ECC) see their two-match winning streak come to an end and finish with their highest winning percentage overall and in ECC play since 2005. Mercy has secured the No. 3 seed in next week's ECC Championship and will face the Purple Knights (17-9, 9-3 ECC) in a Semifinal matchup on Friday, November 19th at Daemen College.

Junior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) had a season-high 21 kills with 19 digs and junior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College) had a season-high 50 assists with 16 digs. Senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) had 13 kills and 12 digs and senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) had a season-high 24 digs. Senior Tynesha Adams (Prattville, Ala./Bethune Cookman University) had 13 kills and five blocks and junior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) had nine kills.

Bridgeport was led by Emily Burford who had a team-high 17 kills.

Mercy jumped out to an 11-2 lead in set one after a Rivera Maldonado kill. Bridgeport came back on a 15-7 run to cut the Mercy lead to 18-17. The Mavericks rattled off three straight points to take a 21-17 lead after a Gonzalez kill. The Purple Knights later got within three, 23-20, but a kill from Lankhorst and an ace from Schneid gave Mercy the 25-20 set one win.

Bridgeport took a 14-11 lead in set two, leading to a Mercy timeout. The Mavericks responded with an 8-3 run to take a 19-17 lead after a Lankhorst kill. Bridgeport followed with two straight points to make it 19-19. The set was tied three more times with the last coming at 22-22. Back-to-back kills from Adams and Schneid gave Mercy a 24-22 lead. Following a Bridgeport kill, Schneid ended the set with a kill of her own to give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.

The Purple Knights built a 13-8 lead in set three before Mercy went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-13 lead. Bridgeport went on a 6-1 run to take a 19-16 lead, forcing a Maverick timeout. The hosts led the rest of the set, earning a 25-20 set three win.

Bridgeport took a 16-12 lead in set four. However, Mercy ensued with a 7-3 run to tie the set at 19-19. The teams traded points twice to make it 21-21. The Purple Knights scored three straight points to build a 24-21 lead and held on for the 25-22 win to force a fifth set.

Mercy held a 9-6 lead in set five after a Schneid kill. Bridgeport followed with an 8-2 run to take a 14-11 lead. Adams made it 14-12 after a kill, but Burford finished the set and match off with a kill to give Bridgeport the win.

Mercy had 63 kills, 58 assists, 88 digs, nine blocks, two aces and hit .181. Bridgeport had 69 kills, 64 assists, 83 digs, nine blocks, six aces and hit .246.