INDIANA, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's volleyball team topped host IUP 3-1 Friday night at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Mercyhurst fell behind 3-1 to start the match after a trio of errors. The Crimson Hawks held the two point advantage to 5-3, but scored three of the next four to take a 6-4 lead. The teams played close until IUP built the lead up to 15-12 on a Brooke Little kill. Addy Benjamin put down a kill followed by a pair of kills by Alyssa Zirnheld to knot the score at 15. The teams traded points  before an attack error and kill gave the Crimson Hawks an 18-16 edge. Mercyhurst leveled the score at 18, but fell behind 19-18 on a Nicole Peterman kill. 

The Lakers scored the next four points to grab a 22-19 lead keyed by a pair of service aces by Mary Marusza. The Lakers held a 24-20 lead before the Crimson Hawks scored back-to-back points to trim the lead to 24-22, but a Leah Kern kill finished the set to put Mercyhurst up 1-0.

In the second set, the teams opened the set even to 6-6. Mercyhurst scored twice on IUP errors before a Peterson kill made it 8-7 Lakers. Mercyhurst opened the set up scoring six straight points kicked off by a Kasper kill to build a 14-7 lead. IUP fought back to cut the lead to 19-16 with a 9-5 spurt, but Zirnheld stopped the run with a kill make it 20-16. The Crimson Hawks rallied again this time taking a 23-22 lead. Kills by Katie Baird and Zirnheld sandwich around an IUP error clinched the second set for the Lakers 25-23.

The Crimson Hawks took the third set 25-18 building the lead and not giving it back after the set started tied at four. 

The Lakers held a 9-8 lead in the third and then went on a 7-0 run keyd by a pair of Baird kills to extend the lead to 16-8. IUP scored three straight to trim the lead to 16-11, but a 4-1 spurt by the Lakers extended the lead back to 20-12.

Mercyhurst saw their lead shrink to 23-19 after a 7-3 spurt by the Crimson Hawks. Kasper and Baird picked up kills to close out the set 25-20 and the match 3-1.

Baird led the offensive effort for the Lakers with 15 kills she also recorded 10 digs and a service ace. Zirnheld notched 11 kills and nine digs. 

Hannah Vuylsteke picked up 21 digs to lead Mercyhurst defensively. Mercyhurst had six blocks paced by three from Addy Benjamin.

Mercyhurst keeps their postseason hopes alive with a key road matchup with Northwest Division foe Clarion set for next Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.