WATERBURY, Conn. — Despite double-doubles from senior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC), junior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) and sophomore Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) and a career-high 25 digs from senior Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack), the Mercy University Volleyball Team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 (18-25, 21-25, 28-26, 25-22, 10-15) decision at Post University on Thursday night at the Drubner Center.
The Mavericks (2-1) suffer their first loss of the season and fall to the Eagles (5-0) for the second straight year in five sets.
Mercy started the first set with a competitive back-and-forth against the Eagles, with juniors Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) and Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) contributing key points to keep the score close. Rivera Rodriguez was instrumental, providing multiple assists, including a notable one at 8-7 to Dilena. Despite a late push with Dilena's kill narrowing the gap to 22-17, Post capitalized on service aces and a strong finish to close out the set 25-18.
The second set began with the Mavericks capitalizing on a service error by Post's Alice DiFrancesco to take an early lead. Bieniek's service ace at 6-5 gave Mercy a slight advantage, but a series of service and attack errors allowed Post to regain momentum. Rivera Rodriguez provided multiple assists, notably setting up kills for Dilena and Illes-Hair, helping Mercy close the gap to 19-17. However, despite a late push, Mercy could not overcome the Eagles' offense, falling 25-21 in the set.
In a thrilling third set, Mercy secured a narrow 28-26 victory over Post, showcasing a resilient performance on the court. Dilena was instrumental in the comeback with multiple kills, including a critical point at 24-24, tying the game. Rivera Rodriguez contributed significantly, assisting on several crucial plays and providing the setup for a decisive kill by Bieniek to clinch the set. The back-and-forth battle saw Mercy pull ahead after being tied at 26, ultimately closing out the set with a two-point advantage.
The fourth set saw a strong start from Mercy, with Illes-Hair and Bieniek delivering early kills to take a narrow lead. Rivera Rodriguez was pivotal in setting up plays, contributing assists to several key points, including a kill by Rodriguez Fuentes at 3-2. Despite a mid-set surge by the Eagles, who capitalized on the Mavericks' attack errors to draw level, Mercy regained momentum. Cooney's exceptional service run, featuring two aces and a critical block from Rivera Rodriguez and Rodriguez Fuentes, helped Mercy rally from down 22-21 to secure a 25-22 victory, capped off by a decisive kill from Dilena.
The fifth set began with Mercy trailing as the Eagles capitalized on several attack errors, pulling ahead 3-0. Mercy responded with a focused effort, highlighted by a service ace from Dilena at 3-3, and a kill by Illes-Hair that gave Mercy their first lead at 4-3. Despite a brief back-and-forth, Post regained momentum, benefiting from Mercy's attack errors to extend their advantage to 14-9. Although Illes-Hair managed another kill to narrow the gap at 14-10, the Eagles ultimately secured the set with a 15-10 victory.
Dilena led the Mavericks with a team-high 21 kills to go with a career-high 18 digs. Bieniek finished with 17 kills and 15 digs and Rivera Rodriguez added 44 assists and 14 digs. Cooney had a career-high 25 digs and Illes-Hair had a career-high 13 kills. Rodriguez Fuentes contributed five kills, five block solos and three block assists. Freshman Isabella Brown recorded a career-high 11 digs.
DiFrancesco stood out for Post with 43 assists and four service aces over five sets, leading in both categories. Alyssa Groves was prominent in defense, amassing 30 digs, showcasing her reliability in backcourt play. Kristina Peric contributed significantly with 23 kills and 24 digs, marking her as a key offensive player. Alani Duncan excelled at the net with six total blocks, providing a strong defensive presence.
Mercy hit .121 with 59 kills, 97 digs, seven aces and 12 blocks. Post hit .155 with 53 kills, 95 digs, nine aces and nine blocks.
Looking ahead, Mercy will face Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
