Amherst, N.Y.—The Mercyhurst Volleyball team dropped two matches on Sunday afternoon at the Wildcat Den Classic hosted by Daemen University. The Lakers started the afternoon with a battle against conference rival Clarion but were swept in three sets. Mercyhurst fell to 1-4 on the season after their second match of the day in a 3-1 loss against Franklin Pierce University.
Game One, Clarion University: 3-0 Loss
Set one of the afternoon was full of streaks by each team. Clarion pulled ahead in the beginning going up by a score of 14-6. The Lakers started their come back with two four-point scoring streaks with kills from Alexa Mitchell, Kate Hennessy, and Paige Miller and a service ace from Isa McCaffrey. They pulled ahead of Clarion 22-21 scoring five points in a row with a service ace from Kaitlin Murphy, two kills from Miller, and another from Kylie Schnars. However, the Lakers couldn't hold on, letting the Golden Eagles score four in a row to take set one.
Set two was lopsided in favor of Clarion. The Lakers gained their first two points with kills from Hennessy but allowed the Golden Eagles to score eight points in a row putting them up 16-6. Miller, Murphy, and Corinne Bechtold all collected kills while the Lakers ultimately dropped the set 25-12.
The final set of the match was more back and forth than the previous. Mercyhurst went up 6-5 on two services aces from McCaffrey and a kill from Miller, however that is the last time the Lakers would have the lead. Miller collected two more kills, and Hennessy one, in the 25-21 loss.
Miller led the front line for the Lakers with nine kills. McCaffrey had four aces and Mitchell set the table for the Lakers eight times in the first match of the day.
Game Two, Franklin Pierce University: 3-1 Loss
The first set against the unfamiliar opponent for the Lakers began with the team's alternating points. Two kills from Hennessy put the score at five all. The Ravens pulled away after that eventually winning 25-13. Hennessy ended the set with four kills while Miller had two and Bechtold one.
In the second set, the Lakers offense found a spark. Going on a six-point streak fueled by two kills from Andrea Zaric and one a piece from Murphy, Hennessy, and Schnars as well as a service ace from Zoe Gadomski. The Lakers couldn't capitalize on their offensive run and fell to the Ravens 25-22.
The Laker offense came alive again in the third set. They found an early 6-5 lead with an ace from Mitchell and a kill from Hennessy. Mercyhurst went on to score six points in a row on a kill from Schnars and back-to-back aces from Murphy. Two kills from both Zaric and Miller led the Lakers to their first win of the Labor Day weekend tournament by a score of 25-19.
After fighting hard early the Lakers tied the fourth set at seven on three services aces and a kill from McCaffrey. However, Mercyhurst allowed the Ravens to go on a five-point streak and could not make a come back. The Lakers had three more aces in the match and kills by Murphy, Zaric, and Schnars.
Mercyhurst served 11 aces against the Ravens with three from Mitchell and three from Murphy. Mitchell and McCaffrey aided the Laker offense with a combined 30 assists. Gadomski and Miller showed up for the Lakers in the back row with 20 and 16 digs respectively.
The Lakers finish out the holiday weekend against Daemen on Monday morning.
