DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2023) – Despite a team-high 10 kills from senior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC), the Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (13-25, 23-25, 20-25) decision to ECC foe Daemen University on Saturday afternoon the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.

The Mavericks (7-3, 2-2 ECC) have dropped two matches in a row and suffer their first home loss of the season. The Wildcats (13-4, 4-0 ECC) remain undefeated in ECC play with the win.

Schneid had a team-high 10 kills with nine digs and two aces and junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) had nine kills. Senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) had eight assists and a team-high 10 digs and freshman Alanis Calderon (Canovanas, Puerto Rico/CIEM Private School) had a career-high 15 assists.

Daemen was led by Charlotte Koerber who had a match-high 17 kills.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 5-3 lead in set one before three straight Mercy points gave the Mavericks a 6-5 lead after an Ayzaline Garay (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) kill. Daemen rallied with a 7-0 run to take a 12-6 lead before three unanswered points by Mercy made it 12-9. The Wildcats went on an 11-2 run to increase their lead to 23-11. A kill from Vizcaino and a Daemen attack error made it 23-13, but a Mercy service error and a Koerber ace gave the Wildcats a 25-13 set one win.

The Mavericks held a 7-5 lead in set two before Daemen scored the next four points to take a 9-7 lead. Mercy tallied the next five points to retake the lead at 12-9 after a Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) kill. The Mavericks later held a 17-14 lead before the Wildcats netted five straight points to take a 19-17 lead. A Daemen service error made it 19-18, but the visitors scored four of the next five points to take a 23-19 lead. Mercy recorded four of the next five points to cut the deficit to one, 24-23, after a Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) block. However, a Dunja Masic kill gave Daemen a 25-23 set two win.

Daemen built a 10-3 lead in set three and later led 15-7 before Mercy stormed back on a 10-4 run to cut the Wildcats lead to two, 19-17, after a Schneid kill. Daemen later held a 21-19 lead before back-to-back kills from Maggie Burns made it 23-19. A Wildcat service error made it 23-20, but back-to-back attack errors by Mercy gave Daemen the 25-20 set three win and the match in three sets.

Mercy hit .179 with 25 kills, 36 digs, two aces and seven blocks. Daemen hit .291 with 45 kills, 40 digs, nine aces and three blocks.

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