DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 27, 2021) – The Mercy College volleyball team hosts Stonehill on Tuesday, September 28th at 7 p.m. before hosting ECC foe Molloy on Wednesday, September 29th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 28th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-6), Stonehill (8-5)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 29th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-6, 1-0 ECC), Molloy (6-7, 1-1 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Stonehill
Stonehill earned a 3-1 win over Mercy on September 15, 2019.
Last Meeting vs. Molloy
Molloy earned a 3-0 win over the Mavericks on November 22, 2019.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 3-1 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by junior Larissa Schneid who had a team-high 14 kills. Seniors Nilka Rivera Maldonado and Selma Vulic had nine kills and junior Yarianne Gonzalez had a match-high 38 assists. Mercy won its ECC opener for the first time since 2005 and the win was the first ECC win for Head Coach Gary Preston Jr. Mercy is looking to start 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2005 and is looking to defeat Stonehill for the first time since 2004. The Mavericks also look to defeat Molloy for the first time since 2016. Gonzalez has been named ECC Setter of the Week once, Schneid has been named to the ECC Honor Roll three times and Rivera Maldonado and senior Tynesha Adams have been named to the Honor Roll once. Schneid leads the team with 124 kills and 3.10 kills per set. Adams leads the team with 24 blocks and is third with 83 kills. Rivera Maldonado is second on the team with 100 kills and fourth with 84 digs. Gonzalez has a team-high 359 assists and 130 digs. Gonzalez ranks second in the ECC in assists per set (8.97) and second in the ECC in service aces per set (0.53). Senior Sophia Flanders ranks third on the team in digs with 110 and senior Selma Vulic has 86 digs. Mercy as a team is second in the ECC in digs per set (15.8) and service aces per set (2.2).
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 Skyhawks
Stonehill enters Tuesday's match on a three-match winning streak and is coming off a four-set win over AIC on Saturday. The Skyhawks were picked fifth in the NE10 Coaches' Poll after going 17-10 in 2019. Stonehill has been led by senior Abby Remick who has a team-high 127 kills with 12 aces and 94 digs. Junior Basia Peragine is second on the team with 104 kills and senior Carly Russell has a team-high 182 digs. Senior Lauren Wilke has a team-high 295 assists and senior Shannon Burgess has a team-high 31 blocks.
Scouting the Lions
Molloy comes into Wednesday's match following a four-set win over Southern Connecticut State on Sunday. The Lions fell to Daemen in their first match of the day before defeating the Owls. Molloy was picked first in the ECC Coaches' Poll after going 28-5 in 2019, winning the ECC Championship and East Region Championship. The Lions have been led by senior Graciela Cruz who has a team-high 126 kills and by junior Kathleen Doherty who is second on the team with 100 kills. Senior Kassie Akouri Tejedor leads the team with 393 assists and 159 digs and sophomore Chye Davis has a team-high 34 blocks.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Tuesday, October 5th when they play at Queens at 7 p.m.
