DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 10, 2023) – The Mercy University volleyball team hosts ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College for Senior Day on Saturday, November 11th at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, November 11th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (13-7, 6-5 ECC), St. Thomas Aquinas (5-14, 1-10 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
Mercy earned a 3-1 win over the Spartans on October 14, 2023.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks earned a 3-0 win over regionally-ranked AIC in their last match on Thursday. 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 265 kills and is third in the ECC with 3.79 kills per set. She also leads the team with 209 digs and has been named to the ECC Honor Roll seven times. Senior Ayzaline Garay is fifth on the team with 78 kills and is fourth on the team with 104 digs. Gonzalez has a team-high 638 assists and leads the ECC with 9.97 assists per set. Gonzalez was named ECC Setter of the Week on October 16th and has been named to the ECC Honor Roll five times. Pomerleau is hitting a team-high .378 with 160 kills and a team-high 54 blocks. Junior Aitza Cruz is second on the team with 206 digs. In a ceremony prior to the game, Mercy will recognize seniors Larissa Schneid, Yarianne Gonzalez, Tanializ Rivera and Ayzaline Garay for their contributions to the program. The Mavericks are currently ranked eighth in the latest NCAA East Regional Rankings. Mercy defeated AIC on Thursday who was ranked second in those rankings. The Mavericks have won four matches in a row and have secured their fourth straight ECC Championship berth. Mercy with a win and a Molloy win over Queens would be the No. 3 seed in next week's ECC Championship. If Mercy wins and Queens defeats Molloy, the Mavericks would be the No. 4 seed.
Scouting the Spartans
St. Thomas Aquinas is coming off a 3-0 win over Caldwell on Monday. St. Thomas Aquinas was picked seventh in the ECC Preseason Poll. The Spartans are led by junior Jaizahir Marrero-George who has a team-high 290 kills and an ECC-best 4.46 kills per set. Freshman Lorielys Ruiz is second on the team with 109 kills and junior Aurivette Santos Bonilla has a team-high 225 digs. Junior Lea Venghaus has a team-high 513 assists and a team-high 32 aces.
Next Match
Mercy resumes action on Friday, November 17th when they play in the Semifinals of the ECC Championship at Daemen University against an opponent and time to be determined.
