CLARION, Pa. - Seniors Tess Ganich, Katie Baird, and Alyssa Zirnheld accounted for 37 of the Lakers 46 kills on the night, but it was not enough as the Mercyhurst volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the Golden Eagles of Clarion University on Friday night at Tippin Gymnasium.  

The Lakers took an early 4-1 lead with Ganich and Baird accounting for kills along with an assisted block between Addy Benjamin and Baird.  Clarion responded with six of eight on scores by Lauren Aichinger, Holly Pittman, Julia Holden, and Alexa Cundy to go ahead 7-6.  Mercyhurst put together a 5-3 stretch with kills by Ganich and Zirnheld to recapture an 11-10 edge.  The teams shared the following eight points to maintain the slim 16-15 lead.  Four Golden Eagles errors and a Leah Kern kill extended the edge to 21-18.  Holden provided the kill to get the hosts even 22-22, but Ganich and Baird answered back with kills to win the set 25-23.  

Three different Clarion players recorded points during the opening 7-3 run to start the second.  Then, with the guests trailing 8-4, a Chrissy Cotton service sparked a 5-0 Lakers charge with kills from Madison Kasper, Kern, and Zirnheld to claim a 9-8 edge.  A pair of Holden kills brought the Golden Eagles level on two different occasions 12-12 and 13-13.  Kills from Ganich, Baird, Zirnheld, and Kasper helped Mercyhurst to keep the lead all the way to 20-19.  Clarion closed on a 6-3 push with Aubrey Wrona putting down the final kill for the 25-23 victory.  

Ganich, Baird and two Clarion miscues put the away side up 4-2.  Wrona and Holden helped the hosts to claim four of the ensuing six points to knot the score 6-6.  There would be two more ties at 7-7 and 8-8, before a 9-1 Golden Eagles outburst with kills from Wrona, Pittman, and Holden to spring ahead to an eight-point cushion 17-9.  Clarion continued to distance themselves stretching the lead to as many as nine at 22-13 on an assisted block between Aichinger and Wrona.  Kills by Zirnheld and Kern brought the Lakers to within seven 24-17, before a Pittman attack error made it 24-18.  However, a combination block by Pittman and Wrona ended the frame 25-18.  

Zirnheld, Ganich, Baird, and Benjamin put the visitors up 4-2 beginning the fourtth.  Clarion responded with kills from Lydia Leiner, Aichinger, and Holden to go ahead by a 6-5 score.  The teams would then get on the seesaw with the score either tied or Mercyhurst holding a one-point edge as Ganich put away a kill for the 10-9 edge.  A miscue from Holden moved the lead to 11-9, but then Holden scored three of the next four to put the hosts in front by one 13-12.  The score would then be knotted at 13-13, 14-14, 15-15, 17-17, 19-19, and 20-20 when Ganich scored another kill.  Unfortunately, kills by Aichinger and Leiner coupled with a Mercyhurst mistake capped off the match 25-21.

Ganich 14 kills led the team, with Baird (12) and Zirnheld (11) also landing in double-figures.  Hannah Vuylsteke and Claire Kenny combined for 25 digs.  Setters Mary Marusza and Kenny joined for 43 assists with Kenny leading the way with 26.

Holden had a match-high 26 kills, while Aichinger and Wrona added 14 and 13 respectively.  Cundy added a game-high 56 helpers.  

Playoff Outlook
By virtue of Edinboro's 3-1 win over Slippery Rock on Friday night the Lakers were eliminated from postseason contention.

Mercyhurst wraps up the 2019 campaign tomorrow at 1pm on the road at Slippery Rock.