GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2023) - Powered by a career-high-tying 17 kills from graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) and double-doubles from seniors Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College), the No. 7 seeded Mercy University volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20) win over NE10 Champion No. 2 seed University of New Haven in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday afternoon at the Center for Recreation and Sport. 

The Mavericks (15-8) advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001 and defeat the Chargers (23-10) for the first time since 2004. Mercy will face No. 3 seed Bentley in a Second Round matchup tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Adelphi. The Mavericks now have their most wins in a season since 2005. 

Mercy was led by Pomerleau who had a match-high 17 kills on .552 hitting and Schneid had 15 kills and a match-high 15 digs. Gonzalez recorded a match-high 48 assists with 12 digs and four kills and senior Tanializ Rivera (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Concordia College) added nine kills. Junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) produced nine kills and 10 digs and junior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had 12 digs. 

New Haven was led by Grace Juergens who had a team-high 14 kills. 

The Chargers held a 7-6 lead in set one before Mercy went on a 4-0 run, capped off by a Rivera kill, to give the Mavericks a 10-7 lead. Mercy later held a 17-14 lead before the Mavericks went on a 5-1 run to take a 22-15 lead after a Schneid kill. New Haven scored three of the next four points to make it 23-18, but back-to-back kills from Schneid and Vizcaino gave Mercy the first set, 25-18. 

New Haven jumped out to a 4-1 lead in set two and later held a 9-8 lead before going on a 7-2 run to take a 16-10 lead. Mercy battled back and cut the deficit to three, 22-19, but the Chargers ended the set on a 3-1 run to take the set, 25-20, tying the match at 1-1. 

Mercy took a 7-2 lead in set three after a Schneid ace. Following a New Haven timeout, the Chargers went on a 12-3 run to take a 14-10 lead. New Haven later held a 15-12 lead before Mercy scored the next five points to take a 17-15 lead after a Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) ace. New Haven made it 17-16 before three straight Mercy points gave the Mavericks a 20-16 lead after a Schneid ace. The Chargers cut the Mercy lead to three, 23-20, but two straight kills from Schneid gave the Mavericks the 25-20 set three win. 

New Haven built a 9-6 lead in set four and later held an 11-8 lead before Mercy scored five consecutive points to take a 13-11 lead after a Pomerleau kill. The Chargers cut the Mavericks lead to one, 21-20, but Mercy closed the set with four straight points to win the set 25-20 and the match in four sets. 

Mercy hit .312 with 57 kills, 55 digs, six aces and seven blocks. New Haven hit .233 with 53 kills, 55 digs, six aces and four blocks.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face the winner of Bentley in a Second Round match at 5 p.m. at Adelphi.