INSTITUTE, W.Va. - The Mercyhurst volleyball team continued their strong start to the season by defeating West Virginia Wesleyan College and dropping a hard-fought four-setter to the host West Virginia State University on Friday at the PSAC/MEC Crossover hosted by West Virginia State.

LAKERS 3, West Virginia Wesleyan 0 (Hurst wins by scores of 25-13, 25-14, and 25-16)

Mercyhurst started the match strong as kills by Katie Baird, Madison Kasper, and Addy Benjamin staked the Lakers to an early 4-1 lead.  The Lady Bobcats answered back using a 5-2 stretch to knot the score 6-6.  A Beth Brady kill along with scores from Leah Kern, Tess Ganich, and Baird opened up an 11-7 edge thanks to a 5-1 run.  Wesleyan did not go away though as two kills by Emily Doyle and one off the arm of Jenny Lundy trimmed the gap to 12-11.  Mercyhurst seized control with a pair of Mary Marusza aces coupled with Kasper and Baird kill to score eight straight for a 20-11 cushion.  Lundy would get one more kill for the Lady Bobcats before Baird and  Benjamin combined for the final five points in a 25-13 win.

The two sides split the opening eight points of the second before Baird, Benjamin, Brady, and Ganich won six of eight for a 10-6 lead.  Wesleyan stemmed the tide for a moment on a Jayme DeMoss kill, but the Lakers got kills from Ganich, and Kern to open up a 13-8 advantage.  A Madison Cooper kill and assisted block between Joelle Lalla and Cooper pulled the Lady Bobcats to within three twice 13-10 and 14-11.  Again, it would be Mercyhurst claiming control of the frame with a 7-1 charge with scores by Baird, Brady, and Kern to snag a sizeable 21-12 lead.  Doyle and DeMoss added two for Wesleyan prior to the Lakers claiming for straight for the 25-14 victory.  

With the score deadlocked 3-3 to begin the third, Anne Borah, Brady, and Kern provided kills while Hannah Vuylsteke added an ace to capture a 9-4 edge.  Three consecutive Wesleyan points trimmed the margin to 9-7, a pair of Lady Bobcats miscues opened the gap back up to 13-7.  The Lakers continued to distance themselves with Kate Hennessey and Hailey Wilson getting their first scores of the match during a 6-2 push to up the advantage to 19-10.  The two sides split the ensuing dozen points as a Hennessey kill ended the set and match 25-16.  

Baird paced the Lakers with nine kills, while Kern and Brady added seven and five respectively.  Marusza led the way in assists with 34.  Defensively, Baird, Benjamin, and Kern all recorded blocks.

Wesleyan got a match-high 10 kills from Lundy with Cooper and Doyle combining for 12.  

LAKERS 1, West Virginia State 3 (WVSU wins by scores 25-21, 13-25, 25-23, and 25-23)

Mercyhurst came out strong with a kill from Baird making 3-0, but West Virginia State answered back with five straight on kills by Jenna Dufresne, Emily Davis, and Ashton Barr to claim a 5-1 lead.  An assisted block by Benjamin and Baird along with a Brady kill pulled the Lakers to within 9-7.  Five different Yellow Jackets recorded points during a 6-3 push to stretch the gap to 15-10.  A Kasper kill cut the deficit to 16-14 and on from Baird kept the visitors alive at 20-18.  Unfortunately, State took five of the last eight as a kill from Dufresne ended the frame 25-21.

Another strong beginning for the Lakers in the second as they opened on a 7-4 run with Baird, Benjamin, Kasper, Brady, and Ganich all accounting for the offense.  They continued to increase the margin as Baird, Kasper and Benjamin coupled with three State errors made it 13-6.  The Yellow Jackets got as close as 13-8, before a 9-2 Laker rampage with kills from four different players move the margin to 22-10.  Each side recorded three more points as a Barid score wrapped it up 25-13.  

In the third the hosts got off to a quick jump with Davis, Thompson, and Dufresne recording kills for an 8-6 edge.  A Dufresne error cut it to 8-7, however, State answered with a 7-3 run to capture the 15-10 advantage.  The Lakers stormed back with a 6-1 gallop with Benjamin, Kasper, and Kern leading the charge to knot the score 16-16.  Things would remain deadlocked at 18-18, 20-20, and 23-23 on a Kasper kill.  Unfortunately for Mercyhurst back-to-back Davis kills ended the set 25-23.

The fourth began rocky for the visitors with Grace Martin, Dufresne, Davis, and Thompson aiding the Yellow Jackets in grabbing a 9-4 lead.  Both sides scored three times over the next six points allowing State to maintain a five-point cushion 12-7.  That seemed to spark the Lakers with Baird and Benjamin accounting for six consecutive points to move the guests in front 13-12.  A 5-2 State charge allowed them to regain a slim 17-15 edge.  Brady and Kasper drew Mercyhurst even 17-17,  It would stay that way to 23-23 thanks to an assisted block by Benjamin and Kasper, but J'Lana Stone scored two straight to end the match 25-23.

Mercyhurst was led by Baird who talied 23 kills, eight digs, three blocks, and an ace.  Kasper added 14 kills and seven blocks, while Brady racked up 13 kills to go along with 20 digs.  Marusza led the side in assists with 47.

State got double-digit kills from Dufresne and Davis who combined for 26.  Thompson provided 11 blocks.  

The Lakers are back at it tomorrow with two more games this time at the University of Charleston as they face the host Golden Eagles at 1pm, before facing the Urbana Blue Knights for the second time in two weeks at 4pm.