NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Powered by double-doubles from junior Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) and senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College), the Mercy University Women's Volleyball Team overcame a 0-2 deficit to earn a 3-2 (16-25, 25-27, 25-19, 25-11, 15-12) come-from-behind win at Monroe University on Thursday night at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
The Mavericks (4-0) start 4-0 for the first time since 2023 and defeat the Mustangs (1-1) in the schools' first-ever meeting. The win is Head Coach Ana Todorovic's 100th career win as a women's volleyball head coach. Todorovic is now 70-32 as head coach at Mercy after recording 30 wins at CCNY.
Mercy took a 4-2 lead in set one after a Dilena ace. A Rivera Rodriguez kill later tied the set at 7-7 before Monroe scored the next nine points to take a 16-7 lead. The Mavericks later cut the deficit to seven, 23-16, after a Rivera Rodriguez kill. However, the Mustangs closed the set with back-to-back points to take the opening set, 25-16.
The Mavericks scored the first point of the second set before Monroe scored the next eight points to take an 8-1 lead. The Mustangs later held a 12-7 lead before Mercy rallied with a 7-0 run to take a 14-12 lead after a senior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) kill. Monroe answered back with a 9-2 run to retake the lead 21-16 before the Mavericks went on an 8-3 run to even the set at 24-24 after a Rivera Rodriguez ace. The teams traded points to tie the set again at 25-25 before Monroe recorded back-to-back kills to take the set, 27-25, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Monroe built an 8-6 lead in set three before Mercy tallied the next six points to take a 12-8 lead after a sophomore Isabella Brown (New York, N.Y./Great Neck North) kill. The Mustangs evened the set back at 13-13 before a 6-1 run by the Mavericks gave Mercy a 19-14 lead after back-to-back junior Aleksandra Lucic (Belgrade, Serbia/Florida SouthWestern State College/AIC) kills. Monroe later cut Mercy's lead to three, 22-19, before kills from senior Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey), sophomore Kamila Colon (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Colegio Catolico Notre Dame) and Lucic gave Mercy a 25-19 set-three win.
The Mustangs recorded the first point of the fourth set before the Mavericks ensued with an 11-2 spurt to take an 11-3 lead after a Dilena kill. A junior Stasa Stamenkovic (Bor, Serbia/Barton CC) kill later gave Mercy a 24-10 lead and a Dilena kill later finished off the set, giving the Mavericks a 25-11 set-four win, evening the match at 2-2.
Monroe scored the first three points of the fifth set and later held an 8-5 lead, leading to a Mercy timeout. After the timeout, a Dilena kill, a Monroe bad set, and a Mustang attack error tied the set at 8-8. Monroe later regained an 11-9 lead, forcing Mercy to take their final timeout of the set. Kills from Dilena, Lucic and Stamenkovic gave the Mavericks a 12-11 lead and a Monroe attack error made it 13-11. A Mercy service error made it 13-12 before kills from Illes-Hair and Lucic closed out the set, giving the Mavericks the come-from-behind victory in five sets.
Mercy was led by Dilena who had a season-high 18 kills and 11 digs. Rivera Rodriguez added a match-high 25 assists and 15 digs to go with seven kills and Stamenkovic recorded a season-high 12 kills. Illes-Hair contributed seven kills and 10 digs and Lucic produced six kills and four aces. Rodriguez Fuentes had five kills and four blocks and Colon recorded five digs.
Monroe was led by Thais Chantal Cocly Vasquez who had a team-high 13 kills.
Mercy hit .323 with 60 kills, 53 digs, 10 aces and 10 blocks. Monroe hit .185 with 47 kills, 44 digs, 12 aces and seven blocks.
Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, September 5th when they host Chestnut Hill at 12 p.m.
