AMHERST, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2022) – Despite a match-high 18 kills from junior Anyelainy Vizcaino Araujo (Santo Domingo Oeste, D.R./Southwestern CC) and a double-double from senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (15-25, 25-14, 22-25, 19-25) decision to ECC foe Daemen University on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium.

The Mavericks (8-4, 2-2 ECC) have dropped two matches in a row and fall to .500 in ECC play. The Wildcats (12-3, 5-0 ECC) remain unbeaten and have won seven matches in a row. Mercy becomes the first team to take a set against the defending East Region Champions during the Wildcats seven-match winning streak.

Vizcaino Araujo had a season-high 18 kills with seven digs and Gonzalez had a match-high 38 assists with 13 digs and six kills. Senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) had a match-high 14 digs and senior Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had 10 kills. Senior Cristy Encarnacion (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands/Alcorn State University) had six kills and six digs and senior Nilka Rivera Maldonado (Bayamon, P.R./Concordia College) had five kills.

Daemen was led by Maggie Burns who had a team-high 14 kills and 13 digs.

Mercy jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set and later held a 10-8 lead after a Vizcaino Araujo kill. Daemen answered with a 9-1 run to take a 17-11 lead. The Mavericks later cut the deficit to 18-13, but the Wildcats rattled off four consecutive points to take a 22-13 lead and held on for the 25-15 set one win.

The Mavericks built a 7-1 lead in set two after an Encarnacion kill. A Rivera Maldonado kill later gave the Mavericks a 10-2 lead. A kill by Burns cut the Mercy lead to 12-6, but the Mavericks came back with four unanswered points to build a 16-6 lead. A Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/ Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) ace later put the Mavericks up, 21-9, before Daemen scored two points in a row to make it 21-11. Mercy led the rest of the set and Vizcaino Araujo finished off the set with a kill to even the match at 1-1.

Daemen started the third set with a 4-0 lead, but Mercy stormed back on a 5-1 run to tie the set at 5-5 after a Lankhorst ace. The set was later tied at 7-7 before the Wildcats scored three straight points to take a 10-7 lead. Back-to-back Vizcaino Araujo kills made it 10-9 before Daemen tallied three straight points to take a 13-9 lead. Mercy continued to battle and tied the set at 17-17 after a Rivera Maldonado kill. Daemen netted four straight points to retake the lead at 21-17. Mercy later cut the deficit to one, 23-22, after another Vizcaino Araujo kill, but Daemen scored the final two points of the set to earn a 25-22 set three win.

Mercy took a 12-7 lead in set four after a Vizcaino Araujo kill. The Wildcats stormed back on an 11-3 run to take an 18-15 lead. A Vizcaino Araujo kill later in the set got Mercy to within two, 19-17, but Daemen scored back-to-back points to make it 21-17 and held on for the 25-19 set four win to win the match in four sets.

Mercy hit .220 with 48 kills, 57 digs, six blocks and five aces and Daemen hit .242 with 48 kills, 46 digs, 10 blocks and nine aces.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.