SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Powered by a team-high 10 kills from junior Aleksandra Lucic (Belgrade, Serbia/Florida SouthWestern State College/AIC), a match-high 31 assists from senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) and a match-high 14 digs from sophomore Kamila Colon (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Colegio Catolico Notre Dame), the Mercy University Women's Volleyball Team earned a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-22) win at previously undefeated RV American International College on Thursday night at Butova Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (10-1) have won two matches in a row and defeat the 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Yellow Jackets (13-1) for the second straight year. Mercy hands AIC their first loss of the season with the Yellow Jackets entering Thursday's match as one of just three undefeated teams in Division II.
Mercy took a 3-0 lead in set one after a Lucic kill and later held a 9-5 lead following a junior Stasa Stamenkovic (Bor, Serbia/Barton CC) kill. AIC stormed back on a 6-2 run to tie the set at 11-11 before a kill from senior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) and a Yellow Jacket attack error gave Mercy a 13-11 lead. AIC followed with a 7-3 spurt to take an 18-16 lead before the Mavericks rallied with a 6-2 run to retake the lead at 22-20 after a Lucic block. AIC later tied the set at 23-23 before back-to-back kills from Stamenkovic gave Mercy the 25-23 set-one win.
AIC built a 4-2 lead in set two and later held a 14-12 lead before Mercy scored three straight points, finished off by a junior Devin Brunk (Clarkston, Mich./Frostburg State University) kill, to take a 15-14 lead. The Yellow Jackets scored the next three points to take a 17-15 lead and later held a 19-17 lead. Back-to-back AIC attack errors tied the set at 19-19 before a Janelys Perez Cortes kill gave AIC a 20-19 lead. The set was later tied at 21-21 before a Lucic kill made it 22-21. A Carissa Michel kill later in the set tied the set again at 23-23. A senior Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) and junior Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) block and a Rodriguez Fuentes ace gave the Mavericks a 25-23 set-two win.
The Mavericks jumped out to an 8-4 lead in set three after a Stamenkovic ace. A Defne Aydin kill made it 10-7 in favor of Mercy before the Mavericks scored the next three points to take a 13-7 lead after a Dilena kill. AIC later cut the Mercy lead to three, 17-14, before the Mavericks scored the next four points to build a 21-14 lead. The Yellow Jackets scored six unanswered points to cut the deficit to one, 21-20. However, back-to-back kills from Dilena gave Mercy a 23-20 lead. AIC later made it 24-22 before a Lucic kill after a long rally gave the Mavericks the 25-22 set-three win and the sweep.
Mercy was led by Lucic who had a team-high 10 kills with seven digs and three blocks. Rivera Rodriguez had a match-high 31 assists with nine digs, and four kills and Illes-Hair had seven kills. Dilena contributed nine kills and four digs and Stamenkovic produced eight kills and nine digs. Rodriguez Fuentes recorded four blocks, four digs, three kills and three aces and Colon added a match-high 14 digs. Brunk posted two kills and two digs.
AIC was led by Perez Cortes who had a match-high 17 kills.
Mercy hit .232 with 43 kills, 50 digs, five aces, and eight blocks. AIC hit a season-low .151 with 38 kills, 48 digs, four aces, and 10 blocks.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, September 30th when they host Queens in their ECC opener at 7 p.m.
