Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Mercyhurst University Athletics

Vuylsteke serves
Ed Mailliard
2
Mercyhurst MER 14-12, 6-9 PSAC NW
3
Winner Pitt-Johnstown UPJ 13-11, 5-9 PSAC SW
Mercyhurst MER
14-12, 6-9 PSAC NW
2
Final
3
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ
13-11, 5-9 PSAC SW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Mercyhurst MER 15 16 25 25 13 (2)
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ 25 25 16 16 15 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Craig Butler, Director of Athletic Communications

Women's Volleyball Rally Comes Up Just Short at UPJ

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst women's volleyball team rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to force a decisive fifth, but fell 3-2 to host Pitt-Johnstown Thursday night in PSAC action.

The Lakers dropped the opening set 25-15 and the were in a 2-0 hole after a 25-16 second set. In the third, the Mountain Cats built a 15-11 advantage, but Mercyhurst answered with nine straight points with four different Lakers recording at least one point to take a 20-15. Pitt -Johnstown  was able to get one point back after their second timeout of the run, but a pair of kills and three UPJ errors cut the Mountain Cat lead to 2-1.

Mercyhurst jumped out in the fourth set, with Leah Kern, Anne Borah, Alyssa Zirnheld and Tess Ganich all scoring kills to open the scoring at 4-2. Claire Kenny extended the lead with a service ace.After a service error made the score 5-3, the Lakers went on a 5-2 spurt keyed by a pair of Katie Baird kills to push the advantage to 10-5. UPJ would get as close as 16-13 midway through the set, but two Baird kills and a pair of blocks from the Mercyhurst front row pushed the lead to 22-14. Mercyhurst would win the fourth 25-16 on kills by Madison Kasper and Zirnheld to force a fifth.

The Lakers trailed 11-7 in the fifth, but once again rallied back. Kern and Kasper recorded back to back kills and Kasper and Boarh combined on a block to trim the lead to 11-10. Hailey Wilson picked up a serice ace to knot the score at 11 in the race to 15. The teams traded points to bring the score to 12-12, before a Laker attack error and a UPJ kill made it 14-12. Tess Ganich scored a kill to cut the deficit to 14-13, but a Mercyhurst error set the final at 15-13.

Ganich led the Laker attach with 12 kills. Zirnheld also reached double figures with 10 kills. Claire Kenny triggered the offense with 23 assists while Mary Marusza added 13 helpers. 

Hannah Vuylsteke notched a team-high 24 digs to go with a pair of service aces and seven assists. Baird added 13 digs to her nine kills. Kasper and Borah each recorded three blocks on the night. 

The Lakers are back in action on Friday when they travel to IUP for a 4 p.m. matchup with the Crimson Hawks.
Print Friendly Version