DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 27, 2022) – Powered by a double-double from senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College) and a team-high 14 kills from senior Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine), the Mercy College volleyball team overcame a two-set deficit to earn a 3-2 (20-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-13) victory over ECC foe Molloy University in a Breast Cancer Awareness Match on Thursday night at Victory Gymnasium.

The Mavericks (12-4, 5-2 ECC) have won four matches in a row and split the season series with the Lions (12-10, 4-4 ECC). Mercy continues their best start since 2005 and overcome a two-set deficit for the first time since October 26, 2018 when they overcame a two-set deficit against New York Tech. The Mavericks also clinch a spot in the ECC Championship for the third straight season and currently sit in second place in the ECC standings with three matches to play.

Gonzalez had 40 assists and 10 digs and Pomerleau had a team-high 14 kills. Senior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) had nine kills and a match-high five blocks and junior Anyelainy Vizcaino Araujo (Santo Domingo Oeste, D.R./Southwestern CC) had nine kills. Senior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) had six kills and 10 digs and senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) had a team-high 14 digs. Senior Ayzaline Garay (San Juan, P.R./Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) ended the night with seven kills and 12 digs.

Molloy was led by Colleen Moulder and Kiarra Roth who both had a match-high-tying 16 kills.

Mercy jumped out to a 6-2 lead in set one after a Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) kill. The Mavericks later held a 10-9 lead before the Lions rattled off six straight points to take a 15-10 lead. Mercy later cut the deficit to four, 17-13, after a Schneid kill, but three straight Molloy points made it 20-13. A Lankhorst kill later cut the Lions lead to four, 24-20, before a Roth kill gave Molloy the opening set, 25-20.

Set two was tied at 7-7 after a Lankhorst kill before four consecutive points from Molloy made it 11-7. Mercy later made it 14-11 after a Schneid kill, but the Lions answered with four points in a row to make it 18-11. The Mavericks cut the deficit to six, 21-15, after a Garay kill. However, the Lions closed the set on a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-16.

Molloy looked to be on the verge of sweeping the Mavericks, but Mercy had other plans starting their comeback in the third set. Mercy jumped out to a 9-5 lead in set three after a Pomerleau kill. Molloy scored the next two points to make it 9-7 before the Mavericks rallied with a 7-1 run to take a 16-8 lead. The Lions later cut the deficit to five, 23-18, but a kill from Lankhorst and a Molloy attack error gave Mercy the set, 25-18.

Molloy held a 6-5 lead in set four before the Mavericks went on a 6-1 run, finished off by a Garay kill, to take an 11-7 lead. Mercy later built the lead to 14-8 after back-to-back Garay kills. Molloy battled back and cut the Mavericks lead to one, 20-19, late in the set. Mercy netted the next three points on kills from Lankhorst, Vizcaino Araujo and Garay to take a 23-19 lead. The Lions would not go away and made it 23-22, but the Mavericks closed out the set with back-to-back points to even the match at 2-2.

The Lions jumped out to a 10-7 lead in set five and looked to be pulling away for the win. However, Mercy continued to battle and scored the next four points aided by two Vizcaino Araujo kills to take an 11-10 lead. Moulder tied the set at 11-11 after a kill, but a kill from Lankhorst and back-to-back Molloy attack errors gave Mercy a 14-11 lead and serving for match point. The Lions recorded the next two points to make it 14-13, but a Molloy service error gave Mercy the set, 15-13, and the come-from-behind win.

Mercy hit .164 with 52 kills, 57 digs, two aces and nine blocks. Molloy hit .173 with 60 kills, 67 digs, four aces and eight blocks.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, October 29th when they play at Queens at 12 p.m.