DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 29, 2021) – Powered by a team-high 16 kills from senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) and double-doubles from juniors Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-17, 25-21) victory over the defending ECC and East Region Champions Molloy College on Wednesday night at Victory Hall Gymnasium.

The Mavericks (6-7, 2-0 ECC) have won four of their last five matches and defeat the Lions (6-8, 1-2 ECC) for the first time since 2016. Mercy starts 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2005.

Rivera Maldonado added five digs and hit .273. Schneid had 13 kills and 14 digs and Gonzalez had 42 assists and 16 digs. Senior Sophia Flanders (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) had a team-high 20 digs and junior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) had nine kills. Senior Tynesha Adams (Prattville, Ala./Bethune Cookman University) had six kills and seven digs and junior Ayzaline Garay (San Juan, P.R./Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) had seven digs and two kills.

Molloy was led by Graciela Cruz who had a match-high 17 kills.

The opening set was tied at 15-15 before three straight points gave Mercy an 18-15 lead. Molloy later cut the deficit to one, 20-19, but the Mavericks rattled off three straight points to take a 23-19 lead after a Schneid kill. The Lions made it 23-20 before Mercy closed the set with two straight points to earn a 25-20 set one win.

Molloy took a 4-1 lead in set two, but the Mavericks continued to battle and stormed back to take a 15-12 lead after an Adams kill. The Lions would end the set on a 13-2 run to take the second set, 25-17.

The Mavericks scored the first five points of set three and increased their lead to 13-4. The Lions later got within 13-9, but Mercy followed with a 7-2 run to take a 20-11 lead. Molloy made it 22-16, but Mercy ended the set with three of the final four points to take the set, 25-17.

Mercy stormed out to an 11-5 lead in set four after a Gonzalez kill. Molloy later trimmed the deficit to two, 18-16, but Mercy ensued with a 5-2 spurt to take a 23-18 lead after another Gonzalez kill. Molloy inched closer to make it 24-21, but a bad set by the Lions gave Mercy the set and match.

Mercy had 53 kills, 50 assists, 78 digs, one ace, eight blocks and hit .210. Molloy had 49 kills, 40 assists, 80 digs, nine aces, three blocks and hit. 131.

Head Coach Gary Preston Jr. and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday when they play at Queens at 7 p.m.