WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Oct. 22, 2024) – Despite three Mavericks recording double-digit kills, the Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (13-25, 25-16, 18-25, 15-25) decision to University of New Haven on Tuesday night at Charger Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (9-6) see their three-match winning streak come to an end and fall to the 2023 NCAA Tournament participant Chargers (13-7) for the first time since 2019.
Mercy was led by junior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) who had a team-high 12 kills. Freshman Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) recorded a double-double by way of 10 kills and a team-high 12 digs. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) added 10 kills and three blocks and sophomore Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) had a team-high 35 assists with eight digs. Sophomore Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) had four kills and junior Marichelle Rodriguez (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) had three aces and three digs.
New Haven was led by Sofia Kamke who had a match-high 19 kills.
The Chargers scored the first four points of the opening set before Mercy scored five unanswered points to take a 5-4 lead after a Pomerleau kill. New Haven followed with a 5-1 run to take a 9-6 lead before the Mavericks scored two straight points to make it 9-8. The Chargers went on a 7-1 run to take a 16-9 lead. New Haven led the rest of the set and earned the 25-13 set one win.
New Haven took an 8-4 lead in set two before Mercy rallied with five consecutive points to take a 9-8 lead after a Bieniek kill. The Chargers recorded five of the next six points to take a 13-10 lead. The Mavericks ensued with a 13-2 run to take a 23-15 lead after a Bieniek kill. A Kamke kill made it 23-16 before back-to-back Mercy points gave the Mavericks a 25-16 set two win to tie the match at 1-1.
Mercy built a 9-6 lead in set three after a Rivera Rodriguez kill. New Haven came back on a 12-3 run to take an 18-12 lead. Back-to-back Maverick points made it 18-14 before the Chargers scored four points in a row to take a 22-14 lead. Mercy went on a 4-2 run to make it 24-18, but a Grace Juergens kill gave the Chargers a 25-18 set three win.
New Haven recorded the first six points of the fourth set and held a 9-3 lead. The Mavericks continued to battle and went on an 8-3 run to cut the Chargers lead to one, 12-11, after a Rivera Rodriguez ace. New Haven followed with a 5-2 run to take a 17-13 lead before a sophomore Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) kill made it 17-14. The Chargers tallied the next seven points to take a 24-14 lead before a New Haven attack error made it 24-15. A Kamke kill gave New Haven the set 25-15 and the match in four sets.
Mercy hit .148 with 41 kills, 47 digs, four blocks and nine aces. New Haven hit .331 with 53 kills, 56 digs, nine blocks and nine aces.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, October 24th when they host Bentley at 6 p.m.
