ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2023) – Powered by double-doubles from seniors Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) and Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) and a match-high 17 digs from junior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College), the Mercy University volleyball team opened ECC play with a 3-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-21) win at Roberts Wesleyan University on Sunday afternoon at the Voller Athletic Center.

The Mavericks (6-1, 1-0 ECC) start 6-1 for the second straight year and win their ECC opener for the third straight season. Mercy defeats the Redhawks (4-7, 1-1 ECC) for the seventh straight time.

Schneid had a match-high and career-high-tying 21 kills with 14 digs and Gonzalez had a match-high 47 assists with 12 digs. Cruz added a season-high 17 digs and junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) contributed 15 kills. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine) had eight kills and five blocks and sophomore Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) recorded a career-high 10 digs.

Roberts Wesleyan was led by Celine Malosa and Olivia Price who both had a team-high eight kills.

The Redhawks jumped out to an 11-3 lead in set one and later held a 14-4 lead. Mercy scored the next four points to cut the Roberts Wesleyan lead to six, 14-8. The hosts answered with a 9-2 run to increase their lead to 13, 23-10. The Mavericks followed with a 6-1 run, capped off by three straight kills from Schneid, to make it 24-16. However, a Mercy attack error gave the Redhawks a 25-16 set one win.

Mercy opened the second set with five straight points to take a 5-0 lead after back-to-back aces from Vizcaino. The Redhawks battled back and cut the Mavericks lead to two, 10-8, before Mercy went on a 6-1 run, finished off by a Pomerleau and Vizcaino block, to give the Mavericks a 16-9 lead. Roberts Wesleyan later trimmed Mercy's lead to 18-12 before three unanswered points by the Mavericks gave Mercy a 21-12 lead after a freshman Alanis Calderon (Canovanas, Puerto Rico/CIEM Private School) ace. The Redhawks got within five, 24-19, late but a Roberts Wesleyan service error gave Mercy the 25-19 set two win.

Roberts Wesleyan took a 9-4 lead in set three and later held a 13-9 lead before Mercy rallied with an 8-1 run to take a 17-14 lead after a Schneid kill. The Redhawks scored the next two points to make it 17-16 before kills from Schneid and Vizcaino and an ace from Schneid gave the Mavericks a 20-16 advantage. Roberts Wesleyan made it 20-18 before Mercy scored the next three points, finished off by a freshman Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) ace, to take a 23-18 lead. The Redhawks came back and cut the Mavericks lead to three, 24-21, but a Vizcaino kill gave Mercy the 25-21 set three win.

The Redhawks built a 6-3 lead in set four before Mercy scored seven consecutive points to take a 10-6 lead. Roberts Wesleyan cut the Mavericks lead to two, 12-10, before the Mavericks went on a 4-1 spurt to take a 16-11 lead after back-to-back Schneid kills. The Redhawks later made it 18-15 in favor of Mercy before the Mavericks netted three straight points to build a 21-15 lead. A Mercy attack error late in the set got the hosts to within three, 24-21, but a Redhawks service error gave the Mavericks the set and the match in four sets.

Mercy hit .127 with 53 kills, 65 digs, 10 aces and six blocks. Roberts Wesleyan hit .134 with 35 kills, 46 digs, six aces and 15 blocks.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, September 27th when they play at Molloy at 7 p.m.