AMHERST, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Powered by a career-high seven kills from freshman Lexi Stooksbury (Marengo, Ohio/Big Walnut), the Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (15-25, 25-19, 16-25, 21-25) decision to ECC foe Daemen University on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium.

The Mavericks (5-3, 0-1 ECC) have dropped two matches in a row and fall in their ECC opener. The three-time defending ECC champion Wildcats (8-3, 1-0 ECC) have won eight straight meetings against Mercy.

Mercy was led by Stooksbury who had a career-high and team-high seven kills with three blocks. Sophomore Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) had a team-high 23 assists and senior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had a team-high 12 digs. Freshman Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) added six kills and five digs and sophomore Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) and graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) each had five kills. Junior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) had four kills and five digs.

Daemen was led by Giselle Giraud who had a match-high 11 kills.

Daemen scored the first five points of the opening set and held an 8-1 lead before Mercy went on a 9-4 run to cut the Wildcats' lead to two, 12-10. Daemen ensued with a 6-2 spurt to take an 18-12 lead before back-to-back Mercy points made it 18-14. The Wildcats closed the set on a 7-1 run to take the opening set, 25-15.

The Wildcats held a 7-6 lead in set two before two kills from Dilena and a kill from Bieniek gave Mercy a 9-7 lead. Daemen made it 9-8 before the Mavericks went on a 4-1 run to take a 13-9 lead after a Stooksbury kill. The hosts scored the next three points to make it 13-12 before Mercy recorded four of the next five points to take a 17-13 lead after a Bieniek kill. The Mavericks later held a 21-17 lead before back-to-back Mercy points made it 23-17. The Wildcats answered with consecutive points to make it 23-19. However, a Daemen service error and Stooksbury and Illes-Hair block gave Mercy the set, 25-19 and tied the match at 1-1.

Daemen jumped out to a 10-6 lead in set three and later held a 17-13 lead before going scoring the next four points to take a 21-13 lead. An Illes-Hair and Stooksbury block later made it 23-16, but back-to-back Wildcat points gave Daemen the 25-16 set three win.

The Wildcats recorded the first three points of set four before Mercy scored the next five points to take a 5-3 lead. The Mavericks later held a 14-12 lead after a senior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) kill and led 15-13 after a Daemen service error. The Wildcats rallied with the next seven points to take a 20-15 lead. Mercy scored four of the next five points to make it 21-19, but Daemen tallied the next three points to take a 24-19 lead. Back-to-back Mercy blocks made it 24-21, but an Abby Ryan kill gave the Daemen the set, 25-21, and the match in four sets.

Mercy hit .087 with 29 kills, 33 digs, 13 blocks and zero aces. Daemen hit .234 with 56 kills, 49 digs, four blocks and eight aces.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.