Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Volleyball did not get their weekend started the way they were hoping as the Lakers took the loss against the Crimson Hawks. The Lakers dropped the match in just three sets falling to 2-14 on the year.

How it Happened

IUP wasted no time establishing themselves as they jumped out to a double-digit lead in the opening stanza and never looked back as the Crimson Hawks went on a 10-0 run to open up the match. The Lakers found their bearings after a kill by Kylie Schnars put them on the board, keeping pace with their counterpart for the rest of the set. Keeping pace wasn't enough for Mercyhurst, though, as they ultimately fell to begin the match 25-14.

The second set was a bit closer than the first, but it still finished with IUP on top. Mercyhurst found themselves right on the Crimson Hawk's tails after a kill from Kate Hennessy made it an 8-7 with IUP ahead, but that didn't last long as Mercyhurst's counterpart went on a 4-0 run to put some distance between themselves and the Lakers. The Crimson Hawks went on another 4-0 streak later in the frame to begin to pull away as they were ahead 21-14 at the end of the run before scoring four of the final six points of the set to move out in front 2-0 in the 25-17 win.

The third set proved to be the Laker's best one as they led at several points in the canto and never trailed by more than five. Kate Hennessy found her rhythm in the third set as she accounted for six kills on her way to the team lead for the game with 16. Her efforts weren't quite enough, though, as IUP won the set by a count of 25-21 to end the match.

By the Numbers

Hennessy led the way in terms of attacking with 16 kills to lead the game. She and Alexa Mitchell found a solid connection to help Mitchell record 18 assists on the night for a team-high. The senior setter also collected eight digs to lead the Lakers while Zoe Gadomski and Kate Hennessy were close behind with seven apiece. 

What's Next

Mercyhurst won't have to wait around too long for their next game as they are set to play tomorrow, October 8th. The Lakers are back at home inside their friendly confines for that one with them hosting UPJ with a start time of 1:00 p.m.