DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — Powered by a match-high 13 kills from senior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) and a match-high 31 assists and eight digs from junior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College), the Mercy University Volleyball Team earned a 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-22) win over ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at the Judge Athletic Center.

The Mavericks (14-3, 8-0 ECC) secure their sixth straight ECC Championship berth and have won seven matches in a row for the first time since 2002. Mercy sweeps the season series with the Redhawks (2-21, 2-5 ECC).

The first set began with Mercy taking an early advantage, with freshman Kori Sessions (Spring, Texas/Carl Wunsche) and junior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) contributing key plays to establish a 2-0 lead. Mercy maintained control with consistent offensive pressure, highlighted by Bieniek's kill and an error from Roberts Wesleyan's Julia Dufkova, extending the lead to 5-2.

Rivera Rodriguez facilitated Mercy's attack effectively, setting up multiple players including junior Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) and sophomore Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy), to maintain a steady lead. A service ace from Dilena further extended the margin to 14-8. Despite a few points from the visiting team, Mercy continued to capitalize on errors and their own strong play.

Mercy closed the set confidently, with freshman Isabella Brown's (New York, N.Y./John L. Miller Great Neck North) service ace and another kill by Sessions helping to secure a 25-17 set victory.

Mercy opened the second set with a series of strong plays, highlighted by Bieniek's effective attacks and a service ace from senior Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack), quickly establishing a 7-2 lead. Rivera Rodriguez facilitated the offense with multiple assists, contributing to the team's momentum. Mercy extended their advantage to 16-7 through a combination of well-placed kills and capitalizing on the opponents' errors.

Despite a brief response from the Redhawks, which included a few successful kills, Mercy maintained control. The set concluded with a decisive service ace from Bieniek, sealing a set score of 25-11, as Mercy maintained their lead with consistent offensive and defensive plays.

In the third set, Mercy capitalized on a series of errors by Roberts Wesleyan, quickly gaining momentum. Dilena's service ace and Bieniek's kill helped establish an early lead. Despite several attack errors, Mercy responded with a strong series, highlighted by Rodriguez Fuentes' three service aces, extending their advantage to 12-8.

As the set progressed, the Redhawks closed the gap, tying the score at 15-15. However, Mercy regained control with key plays from Dilena and Illes-Hair. A crucial kill by Illes-Hair, assisted by Rivera Rodriguez, pushed the lead to 22-20. The set concluded with another Illes-Hair kill, securing a 25-22 victory for Mercy.

Rivera Rodriguez recorded 31 assists and added eight digs to her performance. Illes-Hair contributed significantly with eight kills and three blocks while maintaining an impressive .800 hitting percentage. Rodriguez Fuentes excelled at the service line, posting four aces and securing four blocks. Dilena led the attack with 11 kills and also chipped in two service aces. Bieniek had a match-high 13 kills and six digs and Cooney recorded seven digs.

Tiana Copp led the Redhawks with 10 kills on 22 attempts, achieving a hitting percentage of .409. Sierra George contributed significantly by recording 22 assists, while also adding a service ace. Camryn Karelus added eight kills from 27 attempts, tallying 8.0 points. Dufkova was active defensively, collecting six digs and successfully serving one ace without any service errors.

Mercy hit .383 with 43 kills, 30 digs, 11 aces and seven blocks. Roberts Wesleyan hit .154 with 25 kills, 20 digs, five aces and one block.

Up next for the Mavericks, they will host American International College on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.