AMHERST, N.Y. (Nov. 23, 2024) – Despite double-doubles from junior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) and freshman Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy), the No. 3 seeded Mercy University volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-1 (17-25, 24-26, 25-23, 22-25) decision to No. 4 seeded D'Youville University in the ECC Women's Volleyball Championship Final on Saturday night at Lumsden Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (16-10) finish as ECC Runner-Up for the first time since 2005. The Saints (13-15) win their first-ever ECC Championship and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Mercy will now await an NCAA Tournament bid with the selection show scheduled for Monday, November 25th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The show can be viewed at NCAA.com.
Mercy was led by Bieniek had a team-high 16 kills with 11 digs and by Dilena who had 15 kills and a team-high 13 digs. Sophomore Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) dished out a team-high 45 assists with eight digs. Rivera Rodriguez recorded her 1,000th career assist in the match and now has 1,028 assists for her career. She has 1,000 assists this season with Mercy and had 28 assists last season at AIC. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) added 13 kills and four blocks. Senior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had nine digs and senior Sydney Whitfield (Clemson, S.C./D.W Daniel) had eight digs. Junior Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) added seven digs.
D'Youville was led by Cameron Ulinski who had a match-high 17 kills.
Mercy held a 17-15 lead in set one after a Dilena kill before D'Youville closed the set with 10 straight points to take the opening set, 25-17.
D'Youville built a 6-2 lead in set two before Mercy stormed back on an 8-3 run to take a 10-9 lead after a Pomerleau kill. The Mavericks later held a 13-12 lead after another Pomerleau kill before the Saints rallied with a 4-1 run to take a 16-14 lead. Mercy later tied the set at 19-19 after a Dilena kill before D'Youville scored four of the next five points to take a 23-20 lead. The Mavericks responded with a 4-1 spurt to tie the set at 24-24. Back-to-back D'Youville points gave the Saints a 26-24 set two win.
The third set was tied at 1-1 before the Saints went on a 14-4 run to take a 15-5 lead. D'Youville later held a 21-10 lead and looked to be well on their way to winning the third set. Mercy came back on a 4-1 spurt to make it 22-14 before a Madeline O'Brien kill gave the Saints a 23-14 lead. The Mavericks concluded the set with a comeback for the ages, scoring the final 11 points of the set off the serve of Rivera Rodriguez, to take the third set, 25-23.
The fourth set was tied at 3-3 before the Saints went on a 7-2 run to take a 10-5 lead. Mercy answered with an 8-2 run to take a 13-12 lead. The Mavericks later held a 14-13 lead before D'Youville scored the next three points to take a 16-14 lead. A Bieniek kill gave Mercy a 17-16 lead, but the Saints went on a 5-1 run to retake the lead at 21-18. Four straight Maverick points gave Mercy a 22-21 lead. However, D'Youville tallied the final four points of the set to take the set, 25-22, and the championship in four sets.
Mercy hit .200 with 51 kills, 62 digs, seven blocks and three aces. D'Youville hit .218 with 60 kills, 63 digs, 10 blocks and 10 aces.
