FLUSHING, N.Y. – Powered by a double-double from junior Stasa Stamenkovic (Bor, Serbia/Barton CC), a match-high 11 digs from junior Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) and a match-high 33 assists from senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College), the Mercy University Women's Volleyball Team earned a 3-0 (25-10, 25-17, 26-24) win over ECC foe Queens College on Thursday night at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (16-1, 5-0 ECC) continue their best start since 2001 and have won eight matches in a row for the second time this season. Mercy starts 5-0 in ECC play for the second straight year and sweep the season series with the Knights (3-17, 1-4 ECC) for the third straight season.
Queens scored the first two points of the opening set and later held a 5-4 lead before Mercy scored 11 points in a row to take a 15-5 lead. The Knights later cut the Mavericks' lead to 18-9 before Mercy ended the set on a 7-1 run, capped off by a senior Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) ace, giving the Mavericks the 25-10 set-one win.
The Mavericks opened the second set with a 6-1 lead before Queens went on a 5-1 run to cut Mercy's lead to one, 7-6. The Mavericks followed with a 4-1 spurt to take an 11-7 lead after a Stamenkovic kill. The Knights scored two points in a row to make it 11-9 before Mercy rallied with an 11-4 run to increase the lead to 22-13. Queens later cut the Mercy lead to 24-17 before a Queens service error gave the Mavericks the 25-17 set-two win.
The final set was tied at 3-3 before Mercy went on an 11-2 run to take a 14-5 lead after a Rodriguez Fuentes ace. The Mavericks later held an 18-8 lead following a senior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) kill. Queens stormed back on a 16-6 run to tie the set at 24-24. A Queens service error and a sophomore Isabella Brown (New York, N.Y./Great Neck North) ace gave the Mavericks a 26-24 win and the sweep.
Mercy was led by Stamenkovic who had a match-high 17 kills on .682 hitting with 10 digs. Dilena added nine kills and a match-high 11 digs and Rivera Rodriguez had a match-high 33 assists. Rodriguez Fuentes contributed seven kills and a match-high-tying four aces and Illes-Hair had five kills. Junior Aleksandra Lucic (Belgrade, Serbia/Florida SouthWestern State College/AIC) posted five kills, and five digs and Brown had four digs and one ace.
Queens was led by Zoe Sercu who had a team-high 12 kills.
Mercy hit .500 with 43 kills, 36 digs, nine aces and five blocks. Queens hit .073 with 24 kills, 19 digs, 13 aces and three blocks.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, October 18th when they play at Daemen at 11 a.m.
