BUFFALO, N.Y. (Nov. 7, 2021) – Powered by a match-high 11 kills and five aces from junior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-14) victory over ECC foe D'Youville College on Sunday afternoon at College Center Gym.
The Mavericks (12-13, 7-3 ECC) have won three of their last four matches and sweep the season series with the Saints (3-22, 2-10 ECC).
Schneid also had eight digs and junior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College) had a match-high 31 assists with eight digs. Senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) had a match-high 14 digs and senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) had seven kills and 11 digs. Junior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) had seven kills and four blocks and senior Tynesha Adams (Prattville, Ala./Bethune Cookman University) and junior Cristy Encarnacion (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands/Alcorn State University) had five kills.
D'Youville was led by Emily Fischer who had a team-high five kills.
Mercy opened the first set with seven straight points, leading to a Saint timeout. The Mavericks increased the lead to 13-4, forcing another D'Youville timeout. The Saints later cut the deficit to seven, 17-10, but Mercy scored the next three points to take a 20-10 lead after a Schneid ace and held on for the 25-15 set one win.
D'Youville jumped out to a 4-0 lead in set two and held a 5-1 lead before Mercy stormed back on a 13-1 run, capped off by a Rivera Maldonado kill, to take a 14-6 lead. The Mavericks later increased the lead to 23-12 after a Schneid ace. The Saints got within 24-14 before another Rivera Maldonado kill gave Mercy a 25-14 set two win.
Mercy scored the first four points in set three before the Saints went on an 8-5 run to cut the Mercy lead to 9-8. The Mavericks followed with a 7-1 run, finished off by an Adams ace, which gave Mercy a 16-9 lead. D'Youville scored the next four points to get within 16-13. However, the Mavericks closed out the set on a 9-1 run, capped off by a Schneid kill, to take the set, 25-14.
Mercy had 38 kills, 37 assists, 53 digs, four blocks, 11 aces and hit .253. D'Youville had 16 kills, 15 assists, 38 digs, three blocks, seven aces and hit -.032.
Head Coach Gary Preston Jr. and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, November 10th when they play at Molloy at 7 p.m.
