DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 5, 2023) – The Mercy University volleyball team hosts ECC foe Daemen University on Saturday, October 7th at 12 p.m. and D'Youville University on Sunday, October 8th at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, October 7th 12 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-2, 2-1 ECC), Daemen (11-4, 3-0 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Date/Time: Sunday, October 8th 12 p.m.
Records: Mercy (7-2, 2-1 ECC), D'Youville (4-11, 1-2 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Daemen
Daemen earned a 3-0 win over Mercy in the ECC Semifinals on November 11, 2022.
Last Meeting vs. D'Youville
Mercy earned a 3-0 win over D'Youville on November 6, 2022 in Dobbs Ferry.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks are coming off a 3-1 loss at Queens on Saturday. Mercy went 13-7 last season and qualified for the ECC Championship for the third straight season. The Mavericks finished with their first winning record since 2005 and just missed out on qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Mercy earned an NCAA Regional Ranking during the latter part of the 2022 season and will look to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Mavericks were picked in a tie for second in the ECC Preseason Poll. Leading the returners for Head Coach Ana Todorovic is senior Larissa Schneid who was named First Team All-ECC last season after leading the team with 196 kills and ranking third on the team with 168 digs. Last year's ECC Co-Setter of the Year senior Yarianne Gonzalez also returns after recording a team-high 728 assists with 180 digs a year ago. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau was named Second Team All-ECC last season and returns in 2023 after hitting an impressive .364 with 167 kills and 30 blocks. Junior Anyelainy Vizcaino was tabbed All-ECC Honorable Mention last season after ranking second on the team in kills (174) and aces (29). Schneid leads the Mavericks this season with 121 kills and is second in the ECC with 3.90 kills per set. She also leads the team with 90 digs. Senior Ayzaline Garay is fourth on the team with 62 kills and is third on the team with 63 digs. Gonzalez has a team-high 312 assists and leads the ECC with 10.06 assists per set and Pomerleau is hitting a team-high .366 with 70 kills and a team-high 25 blocks. Junior Aitza Cruz is second on the team with 88 digs. Both Schneid and Gonzalez were named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Schneid has been named to the Honor Roll twice and Gonzalez has been tabbed to the Honor Roll three times. The Mavericks rank fourth nationally in aces per set (2.58) and have started 7-2 for the second straight season. Mercy looks to start 8-2 for the second straight season. The Mavericks are 3-16 all-time against Daemen with their last win coming on November 3, 2019 in Dobbs Ferry.
Scouting the Wildcats
Daemen is coming off a 3-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan on September 27th. The Wildcats will play at Post on Friday night before facing Mercy on Saturday. Daemen was picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 20-6 last season. The Wildcats went undefeated in ECC play last season and have won 26-straight regular-season conference matches dating back to the end of the 2019 season. Daemen won the ECC Regular Season and Tournament Championships last season and have participated in the NCAA Tournament in four of the last six years. The Wildcats won the East Region Championship in 2021. Daemen is led by two-time ECC Player of the Week Charlotte Koerber who ranks fourth in the ECC in kills (177) and third in kills per set (3.85). She also has 133 digs and 26 aces. One-time ECC Player of the Week Giselle Giraud has 160 kills with an ECC-best .380 hitting percentage and has 22 blocks. ECC Preseason Player of the Year Maggie Burns has 101 kills and 95 digs. Two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week Jasmine Brundage has an ECC-best 245 digs and 5.21 digs per set. One-time ECC Setter of the Week Dunja Masic has a team-high 301 assists and Olivia Alessi has 220 assists.
Scouting the Saints
D'Youville is coming off a 3-2 win over Roberts Wesleyan on September 30th. The Saints will play at Dominican on Friday and at St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday before playing at Mercy. D'Youville was picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 4-23 last season. The Saints have been led by two-time ECC Rookie of the Week Madeline O'Brien who has an ECC-best 213 kills. The freshman also has 114 digs and 17 blocks. Giselle Ramirez has 105 kills and Isabelle Prentice is third on the team with 82 kills. Emma Wlostowski has a team-high 182 digs and Samantha Killane is second on the team with 145 digs and leads the team with 33 aces. One-time ECC Rookie of the Week Mitha Hatwar leads the team with 327 assists and has 132 digs.
Next Match
Mercy resumes action on Saturday, October 14th when they play at St. Thomas Aquinas at 12 p.m.
