AMHERST, N.Y. (Oct. 21, 2023) – Despite a double-double from senior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC), the Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 21-25) decision to ECC foe Daemen University on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (9-5, 4-3 ECC) have dropped two matches in a row and fall to the Wildcats (17-5, 7-0 ECC) for the seventh straight time.
Schneid had a team-high 12 kills with 11 digs and senior Tanializ Rivera (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Concordia College) added 10 kills. Senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) recorded a match-high 37 assists and junior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had a team-high 14 digs. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had eight kills and junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) had seven kills and six digs.
Daemen was led by Amelia Armstrong who had a match-high 13 kills.
Mercy took a 4-0 lead in set one and held a 6-1 lead before the Wildcats went on an 11-5 run to take a 12-11 lead. A 4-1 run by the Mavericks, capped off by a Schneid block, gave Mercy the lead back at 15-13. The Mavericks later held a 16-14 lead after a freshman Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) kill, but Daemen ensued with seven unanswered points to take a 21-16 lead. Back-to-back kills from Rivera made it 21-18 before back-to-back Wildcat points made it 23-18. A Rivera kill got Mercy to within four, 24-20, but an Armstrong kill gave Daemen the 25-20 set one win.
The Mavericks jumped out to an 8-5 lead in set two after a Vizcaino ace. Mercy later held a 13-12 lead before Daemen followed with a 5-1 run to take a 17-14 lead. The Mavericks continued to battle and went on a 4-1 run to tie the set at 18-18 and later tied it again at 19-19. However, the Wildcats scored the final six points of the set to take the second set, 25-19.
The Wildcats built an 11-7 lead in set three and looked to be pulling away from the Mavericks. Mercy had other plans and came back on a 9-3 run to take a 16-14 lead. Daemen battled back and retook the lead at 20-19 before the Mavericks scored the next five points to take the lead back at 24-20. A Charlotte Koerber kill made it 24-21, but a Daemen attack error gave the Mavericks the 25-21 set three win.
Mercy had a 3-1 lead in set four after a Schneid kill. The Wildcats scored the next four points to take a 5-3 lead and held an 8-6 lead before the Mavericks rallied and tied the set at 11-11. Daemen tallied the next six points to take a 17-11 lead. Mercy bounced back with a 7-3 run to cut the Wildcats lead to two, 20-18, after an Illes-Hair block. Daemen scored four of the next five points to take a 24-19 lead before a Wildcat service error and Ayzaline Garay (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) block made it 24-21. A Mercy attack error gave Daemen the set, 25-21, and the match in four sets.
Mercy hit .071 with 42 kills, 50 digs, eight blocks and two aces. Daemen hit .141 with 47 kills, 53 digs, 10 blocks and 10 aces.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.
