GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Dec. 1, 2023) – Despite a team-high 11 kills from senior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and a double-double from senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College), the No. 7 seeded Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 13-25, 14-25) decision to No. 3 seeded Bentley University in an NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship Second Round match on Friday night at the Center for Recreation and Sport.
The Mavericks (15-9) see their season end in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 and earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2001. Mercy's 15 wins are the most for the program since 2005. The Falcons (24-6) advance to tomorrow's East Region Final where they will face the winner of Adelphi/Daemen at 7 p.m.
Mercy was led by Schneid who had 11 kills and nine digs. Gonzalez had a match-high 34 assists with a team-high 13 digs and senior Tanializ Rivera (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Concordia College) added 10 kills. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had nine kills and junior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) recorded 10 digs. Junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) had six kills and eight digs and sophomore Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) had five digs.
Bentley was led by Ingrid Murphy who had a match-high 16 kills.
The score was tied at 6-6 in set one before Mercy scored six straight points to take a 12-6 lead after a Schneid kill. The Mavericks later held a 20-17 lead after a Rivera kill before three straight Bentley points tied the set at 20-20. A Falcons service error gave Mercy a 21-20 lead before Bentley scored the next two points to take a 22-21 lead. A Vizcaino kill tied the set again at 22-22 and the set was later tied at 23-23 before Bentley scored the final two points of the set to take the first set, 25-23.
Mercy scored the first four points of set two to take a 4-0 lead and later held an 8-4 lead after a Gonzalez kill. Bentley followed with a 6-1 run to take a 10-9 lead, but the Mavericks scored the next four points to retake the lead at 13-10. The Falcons made it 13-11 before a Rivera kill and back-to-back attack errors by Bentley gave Mercy a 16-11 lead. The Falcons later cut the deficit to three, 24-21, but a Pomerleau kill gave Mercy the set 25-21 and tied the match at 1-1.
Bentley scored the first five points of set three and later held a 9-2 lead. The Mavericks later cut the deficit to six, 13-7, after a Pomerleau kill, but the Falcons ensued with a 7-3 spurt to take a 20-10 lead and earned the 25-13 set three win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Mercy recorded the first two points of set four before Bentley rattled off seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead. A Rivera kill made it 7-3 before Bentley went on a 13-7 run to take a 20-10 lead. The Falcons led by double-digits the remainder of the set to earn the 25-14 set four win and the match in four sets.
Mercy hit .133 with 40 kills, 50 digs, six blocks and one ace and Bentley hit .197 with 53 kills, 53 digs, four blocks and 11 aces.
