DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Powered by a double-double from junior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) and a match-high 52 assists from sophomore Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College), the Mercy University volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-21, 25-13, 13-25, 25-16) win over ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday afternoon at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.

The Mavericks (7-5, 1-3 ECC) earn their first ECC win of the season, while the Spartans (5-11, 0-4 ECC) remain winless in ECC play.

Mercy was led by Bieniek who had a match-high 17 kills and 15 digs on .533 hitting. Rivera Rodriguez had a match-high 52 assists with eight digs. Freshman Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) added 14 kills and six digs and freshman Lexi Stooksbury (Marengo, Ohio/Big Walnut) had 13 kills and two digs. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) contributed 12 kills and five blocks on .579 hitting and senior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had seven digs.

St. Thomas Aquinas was led by Evie Paalman who had a team-high 12 kills.

Mercy held a 4-2 lead in set one after a sophomore Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) kill. The Spartans scored the next three points to take a 5-4 lead. The score was later tied at 8-8 before Mercy went on a 4-1 run to take a 12-9 lead after a Bieniek kill. St. Thomas Aquinas answered back with an 8-3 run to take a 17-15 lead and later held an 18-17 lead. The Mavericks rallied with a 6-1 run to take the lead back at 23-19 after back-to-back Stooksbury kills. The score was later 24-21 before a Bieniek kill gave Mercy the opening set, 25-21.

The Mavericks built a 13-5 lead in set two and later held a 20-8 lead following a Stooksbury kill. The Spartans later made it 24-13 before a Dilena kill gave Mercy the 25-13 set two win.

The Spartans jumped out to a 13-5 lead in set three before Mercy scored three straight points to make it 13-8. St. Thomas Aquinas responded with an 8-1 run to take a 21-9 lead. The Spartans led the rest of the set and earned the 25-13 set three win.

St. Thomas Aquinas took a 5-4 lead in set four before Mercy scored three straight points to take a 7-5 lead after a junior Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) ace. The Spartans later tied the set at 8-8 before the Mavericks scored eight straight points to take a 16-8 lead after a Dilena kill. St. Thomas Aquinas cut the Mercy lead to six, 22-16, but two kills from Pomerleau and one from Stooksbury gave the Mavericks a 25-16 set four win and the match in four sets.

Mercy hit .377 with 62 kills, 43 digs, seven blocks and four aces. St. Thomas Aquinas hit .232 with 35 kills, 39 digs, six blocks and eight aces.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, October 16th when they host Molloy at 7 p.m.