Mercyhurst 3, Edinboro 1

ERIE, Pa. -- The blocking duo of Becky Leusch and Becky Smith proved to be too much for the Fighting Scots as Mercyhurst powered past rival Edinboro, 3-1.

Leusch and Smith combined for seven of the Lakers 10 team blocks, helping to shut down a potent Fighting Scots attack that ranks fifth in the PSAC.  Edinboro entered the game with a .224 hitting percentage but was held to .075 by the Lakers.

The Lakers move to 13-4 overall, 5-1 in the PSAC, while Edinboro falls to 12-6 overall, 4-2 in the PSAC.

Mercyhurst came out firing in the first set, taking an 11-6 lead and causing Edinboro to call the first of many timeouts by both teams on the night.  The Fighting Scots then rebounded to close within two points on three occasions, but strong blocking by B. Smith and Leusch, combined with back-to-back errors by the Fighting Scots for the final two points, halted the rally for a 25-20 victory in the first set.

The second set saw Mercyhurst take a 5-0 lead before doubling that with blocks by Smith and Leusch to increase the lead to 11-5.  However, Edinboro would rally for a 9-5 run that cut the Lakers lead to 19-16 but it would not be enough as Mercyhurst closed out with a 25-18 win.

Edinboro claimed the third set of the match to spoil the sweep, taking a 12-6 lead before stretching its lead to 20-10 and finally a 25-15 victory.

The fourth set provided plenty of drama for the more than 100 fans in attendance.  Back and forth action prevailed for the beginning points until the Lakers rallied to tie the set at 10-10.  That see-saw play continued, with the Lakers again tying the set, this time knotting the score at 19.  With a slim 21-19 Mercyhurst lead, B. Smith and Leusch again stepped up the defensive pressure and threw down a momentum-changing block that gave the Lakers a three-point advantage, 22-19.  Fittingly, match point ended with a block by Leusch with assistance from another Smith in junior middle hitter Justine Smith.  The Lakers completed the 3-1 victory with a 25-21 win in set four.

Chelsea Jensen again led the Mercyhurst offense with a game-high 12 kills while Amanda Balasko showcased a fine night of hitting with 10 kills in 21 attempts with just three errors for the Lakers best attack percentage at .333.  J. Smith also found success in the offensive scheme with eight kills while Leusch provided another angle with seven kills.

Setter Julia Butler notched 39 helpers and 13 digs while libero Kendall Ashworth reeled off a team-high 18 digs.  

For the Fighting Scots, Beyaca Martin had 11 kills while setter Megan Osysko posted 28 assists.  Libero Maureen Tilert had 22 digs and Brittany Slauterbeck led the defense with five blocks.

Next up for the Lakers is their second away contest of the season when Mercyhurst travels to Gannon on Saturday, Oct. 3 for a 7 p.m. contest.