ERIE, Pa. - After dropping their last five and falling out of the playoff picture for the moment the Mercyhurst volleyball team show great resiliency, heart and determination rallying back from a 2-0 sets deficit to win a pivotal Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference matchup with the visiting Vulcans of California University of Pennsylvania at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on Friday night.
A kill from
Katie Baird gave the Lakers the 4-3 lead early in the first, but then Madison Kline, Sarah Moehring, and Kaylin Burkey put together a 4-0 push to get in front 7-4.
Tess Ganich and
Madison Kasper helped the hosts get two of the next three to close to 8-6. However, the Vulcans worked out a 7-3 run on kills from Madeleine McKenna, Chelsea Howard, and Burkey, during that stretch Mercyhurst got two scores off the hands of Kasper which made it 15-9.
Addy Benjamin sparked a 7-1 charge for the Lakers that was aided by kills for Ganich and Baird along with an ace from
Hannah Vuylsteke to draw level 16-16. Two visiting errors gave the hosts leads of 18-17 and 20-19, but the Vulcans scored four straight to go ahead 23-20. Mercyhurst was not going to be denied though using a 4-1 push on kills for Kasper and Zirnheld coupled with a an assisted block from Benjamin and Zirnheld to knot the score 24-24. Unfortunately, Moehring and McKenna put away consecutive kills to take the set 26-24.
Cal got off to the good start to begin the second with Madison Kline and Moehring providing kills to make it 5-3. Points off the hands of
Leah Kern and Baird trimmed the margin to 7-6, before Sarah Benson, Burkey, Howard, and McKenna accounted for eight straight visiting points to open up a nine-point cushion 15-6. For the second set in a row the Lakers would not go away mounting an 8-2 run with kills by
Anne Borah, Zirnheld, Ganich, and Baird to close within 17-14. The Vulcans made it to 24-15 thanks to Kline, Moehring, and Burkey. Kasper, Zirnheld, and Kern kept hope alive by getting it to 24-19, but a service error from
Zoe Gadomski finished the 25-19 win.
The Lakers received kills from
Beth Brady, Ganich, and Borah to jump out 6-1 in the third. A kill by Moehring and an assisted block between Howard and Burkey allowed the Vulcans to make the margin two twice at 7-5 and 10-8, but Kasper and Kern quickly re-established the five-point gap 13-8. Another Ganich kill maintained the 16-11 edge, before scores by Moehring, Kline, and Shelby Alloway capped a 5-1 run to get within one 17-16. After an assisted block by Kasper and Kern made it 19-16, the guests would actually grab the lead as Burkey and Howard accounted for five straight points for the 21-19 edge. Baird, Kasper, and Zirnheld put together a 7-3 stampede to take the third 26-24 on a Zirnheld kill.
The Vulcans did not want the Lakers to have dreams of a fifth with Burkey and McKenna staking the away team to a 6-2 advantage. Mercyhurst stormed back from the early hole as Baird, Kern, and Kasper formulated a 7-2 push to go in front 9-8. Cal responded with a 5-2 run of their own culminating in a Jensen Silbaugh ace for the 13-11 lead. The see-saw affair continued when the home side came up with six of the ensuing seven with scores by Borah and Zirnheld to recapture the 17-14 edge. McKenna, Kline, Burkey, and Silbaugh helped the Vulcans climb back into the set drawing even 22-22. A kill by Zirnheld coupled with an assisted block from Kasper and Borah made the vision of the decisive fifth within reach 24-22. After a home miscue Borah assured the fifth with the clinching kill.
After mounting such a comeback the Lakers were determined to take the match and got off to a hot start in the fifth with Ganich, Baird, and Borah recording kills to go ahead 5-1. California picked up four of the next six on scores by Kline and Moehring to close the gap to 7-5. Mercyhurst took command of the frame with kills from Baird and Zirnheld along with a
Mary Marusza ace for the 13-6 advantage. The teams split the final four points which was enough for the Lakers to complete the comeback as Borah pounded down the final kill.
Mercyhurst had three players with double-digit kills led by 17 from Baird, while Zirnheld (14) and Ganich (10) also fell in that company. Kasper and Borah each posted eight.
Zoe Gadomski,
Claire Kenny,
Hannah Vuylsteke, and Marusza all had ten-plus digs. The setting duo of Kenny and Marusza dished out 52 assists.
Kline (15), Burkey (12), and Moehring (10) led the offense for California. Silbaugh recorded a match-high 29 digs, while Benson posted 46 helpers.
Mercyhurst will look to continue their playoff push when they finish off the home portion of the 2019 schedule with a matchup against the Griffins of Seton Hill on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 pm inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
