DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2021) – The Mercy College volleyball team resumes action on Thursday, September 9th when they play at Adelphi at 4 p.m. Mercy will then face Nyack at Adelphi on Friday, September 10th at 2 p.m. Mercy ends the week with matches against Shepherd and Goldey-Beacom at Goldey-Beacom on Saturday, September 11th at 2 & 4 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Thursday, September 9th 4 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-1), Adelphi (4-1)
Location: Garden City, N.Y.
Date/Time: Friday, September 10th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-1), Nyack (0-1)
Location: Garden City, N.Y.
Date/Time: Saturday, September 11th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-1), Shepherd (3-1)
Location: Wilmington, Del.
Date/Time: Saturday, September 11th 4 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-1), Goldey-Beacom (0-4)
Location: Wilmington, Del.
Last Meeting vs. Adelphi
The two teams last met on October 10, 2010 with Adelphi earning a 3-0 win in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Last Meeting vs. Nyack
Mercy earned a 3-1 victory over Nyack on September 6, 2019.
Last Meeting vs. Shepherd
First Meeting
Last Meeting vs. Goldey-Beacom
Mercy earned a 3-0 victory over Goldey-Beacom on October 26, 2019.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 3-1 win over Pace on Friday, which gave Head Coach Gary Preston Jr. his first collegiate win. The Mavericks were led by junior Yarianne Gonzalez who had a match-high 47 assists with nine digs. Junior Larissa Schneid had a match-high 16 kills and senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado had 12 kills and 10 digs. Gonzalez was named ECC Setter of the Week and Rivera Maldonado and Schneid were tabbed to the Honor Roll on Monday. 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 seniors Selma Vulic and Sophia Flanders and junior 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. Senior Tynesha 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 Panthers
Adelphi opened their season with a loss, but have won four straight matches, including a straight-set win over Chestnut Hill in their last match on Tuesday. The Panthers are led by Samantha Meehan who has a team-high 44 kills with 40 digs and six blocks. Katie Schloss has 29 kills and 14 digs and Kambel Fiser has a team-high 124 assists. Jamie Yonker has a team-high 109 digs on the year in five matches and was named NE10 Libero of the Week on Monday. Adelphi was picked sixth in the NE10 Coaches' Poll after going 14-11 in 2019.
Scouting the Warriors
Nyack opened their 2021 season on Tuesday with a straight-set loss at Southern Connecticut State. The Warriors were led by Jada Hamilton who had six kills. Gabrielle Carbonel had a team-high 11 digs and 15 assists. Nyack was picked fifth in the North Division of the CACC Coaches' Poll after going 7-18 in 2019. The Warriors played an abbreviated season in the spring of 2021, going 1-6.
Scouting the Rams
Shepherd will face Lincoln on Friday before taking on Goldey-Beacom and Mercy on Saturday. The Rams have opened their 2021 season 3-1 with wins over Frostburg State, Ohio Dominican and Indiana (Pa.). Shepherd has been led by Kiara Rakestraw who has a team-high 46 kills. Mikaylah Hoy has 44 kills and Victoria Nicholes has a team-high 129 assists. Claire Ellis has a team-high 71 digs and Hoy is second on the team with 56 digs. Hoy was named PSAC East Athlete of the Week and Ellis was tabbed PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week on Monday. The Rams were picked first in the PSAC East Coaches' Poll after going 29-7 in 2019, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting the Lightning
Goldey-Beacom has opened their 2021 season with four straight losses and will play at Bowie State on Thursday before hosting the Mavericks on Saturday. The Lightning have been led by Julia Syrdahl who has a team-high 44 kills and seven blocks. Syrdahl was named to the CACC Honor Roll on Monday. Shayla Boyce has 39 kills and Autumn Spendlove has a team-high 126 assists. Neyshlian Roman Concepcion has a team-high 90 digs and Spendlove is second with 40 digs. Goldey-Beacom was picked seventh in the CACC South Coaches' Poll after going 5-23 in 2019.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Tuesday, September 14th when they play at Southern New Hampshire and Saint Anselm at 4:30 p.m.
