DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Powered by double-doubles from seniors Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, P.R./Monroe College), the Mercy College volleyball team earned a 3-2 (18-25, 29-27, 27-25, 18-25, 15-5) win over ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan University in their home opener on Saturday afternoon at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (7-1, 1-0 ECC) have won three matches in a row and continue their best start since 2001. The win is the first ECC win for Head Coach Ana Todorovic. Mercy wins their ECC opener for the second straight season and win their fifth straight home opener. The Redhawks (2-11, 0-1 ECC) fall to Mercy for the fifth straight time.
Schneid had a match-high-tying 15 kills with a match-high-tying 14 digs. Gonzalez had a match-high 44 assists with 10 digs and four kills and senior Tanializ Rivera (Carolina, P.R./Concordia College) had 13 kills and six digs. Senior Ayzaline Garay (San Juan, P.R./Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) had six kills and a match-high-tying 14 digs and senior Selma Vulic (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) had 12 digs. Senior Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had seven kills and senior Stéphanie Lankhorst (Apeldoorn, Netherlands/ Koninklijke Scholengemeenschap Apeldoorn) had five kills.
Roberts Wesleyan was led by Sydney Yanak who had a match-high-tying 15 kills.
Mercy opened the first set with a 7-2 lead after a Lankhorst ace. The Mavericks later held a 17-15 lead after a Lankhorst kill, but the Redhawks scored the next four points to take a 19-17 lead. Mercy answered with an Anyelainy Vizcaino Araujo (Santo Domingo Oeste, D.R./Southwestern CC) kill to make it 19-18. However, Roberts Wesleyan closed the set with six straight points to earn a 25-18 set one win.
Roberts Wesleyan jumped out to a 15-11 lead in set two. The Mavericks answered with a 6-1 run, capped off by a Rivera kill, to take a 17-16 lead. The Redhawks regained the lead with four straight points to take a 20-17 lead. Roberts Wesleyan later held a 24-22 lead and were one point away from winning the set. Mercy fought back and scored three straight points to take a 25-24 lead before the visitors netted two unanswered to take a 26-25 lead. A kill from Lankhorst and a Redhawks attack error gave Mercy a 27-26 lead. Roberts Wesleyan tied the set for a final time at 27-27 after a Yanak kill. Back-to-back kills from Rivera and Schneid gave Mercy the 29-27 set two win.
The Redhawks took a 14-10 lead in set three before Mercy went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-15 lead. Roberts Wesleyan answered with a 9-4 run to take a 24-21 lead, needing just one point to take a 2-1 lead in the match. However, three straight points from the Mavericks evened the score at 24-24. An Olivia Price kill gave the Redhawks a 25-24 lead. Pomerleau then recorded back-to-back kills and Pomerleau and Garay combined on a block to give Mercy a 27-25 set three win.
Mercy began the fourth set with a 5-1 lead after a Schneid kill. Roberts Wesleyan stormed back on an 8-2 run to take a 9-7 lead. The Redhawks increased the lead to 21-14 before the Mavericks scored four straight points to make it 21-18. Roberts Wesleyan ended the set with four straight points to take the set, 25-18, and even the match at 2-2.
The Redhawks scored the first point of the fifth set, but Mercy rattled of the next five to take a 5-1 lead. A Rivera kill later gave Mercy an 8-2 lead and a Pomerleau kill, and Schneid ace later made it 11-4. A Celine Malosa kill made it 11-5, but the Mavericks scored the final four points to win the set, 15-5, and win the match.
Mercy hit .146 with 55 kills, 68 digs, 11 aces and three blocks. Roberts Wesleyan had 45 kills, 57 digs, nine aces and seven blocks.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, September 28th when they play at Molloy at 7 p.m.
