DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 17, 2022) – Powered by match-high 10 kills from senior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) and a match-high 37 assists from senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-23) win over Caldwell University on Monday night at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (10-4) have won two matches in a row and have recorded double-digit wins for the fourth straight season. The Cougars (6-14) drop both meetings to Mercy this season in straight sets.
Lankhorst hit .444 with two digs and two blocks and Gonzalez added three kills and a team-high seven digs. Senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) had nine kills and four digs and senior Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had nine kills on .615 hitting. Junior Anyelainy Vizcaino Araujo (Santo Domingo Oeste, D.R./Southwestern CC) had seven kills and three digs and senior Tanializ Rivera (Carolina, P.R./Concordia College) had four kills and three digs. Sophomore Sydney Whitfield (Clemson, S.C./D.W Daniel) had six digs and senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) added five digs.
Caldwell was led by Reese Sherwood who had a team-high seven kills.
The Cougars held a 6-4 lead in set one before Mercy scored six straight points to take a 10-6 lead. Caldwell later cut the Mercy lead to 10-8 before the Mavericks rattled off five straight points to take a 15-8 lead after a Pomerleau and Vizcaino Araujo block. Caldwell trimmed the Mercy lead to three, 20-17. The Mavericks responded with three consecutive points, capped off by a Rivera Maldonado kill, to take a 23-17 lead. Caldwell later made it 24-19, but a Pomerleau kill gave Mercy the first set, 25-19.
Mercy jumped out to a 10-7 lead in set two before scoring the next three points to take a 13-7 lead after a Rivera Maldonado kill. Caldwell later got within three, 16-13, but three unanswered points from the Mavericks made it 19-13 after a Vizcaino Aruajo kill. The score was later 22-16 before Mercy closed the set with three straight points to earn a 25-16 set two win.
Mercy took an 11-3 lead in set three after a Rivera ace. The Mavericks later held a 20-13 lead before the Cougars netted four straight points to make it 20-17. Mercy ensued with three points of their own to make it 23-17. However, Caldwell followed with a 6-1 run to cut Mercy's lead to one, 24-23. Lankhorst put an end to any hope of a Cougar comeback with her final kill of the match to give the Mavericks the set and match.
Mercy hit .283 with 43 kills, 35 digs, four blocks and six aces. Caldwell hit .089 with 23 kills, 32 digs, two blocks and six aces.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, October 22nd when they play at Roberts Wesleyan at 12 p.m.
