Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst Volleyball team hits the road this weekend for their final two road games of the season. They will travel to Clarion on Friday, followed by traveling to Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday. The Lakers will look to steal a road win before returning home to conclude their season the following weekend.
History Lesson
The Lakers played Clarion and UPJ at home earlier in the season. The Lakers dropped both matchups 3-0 and 3-1. In the game against UPJ, Paige Miller led the Lakers in kills with 11, while Alexa Mitchell dished out 29 assists. In the game against Clarion, Kate Hennessy led the Lakers with 11 kills and Alexa Mitchell had 23 assists.
Flashback
The Lakers went 1-1 this past weekend with a win over Seton Hill and a loss to Slippery Rock. In the win over Seton Hill, the Lakers won a battle in the first set and followed it up with a nice win in the second set. Seton Hill grabbed the third set by a wide margin, but the Lakers bounced back with a 25-18 win in the fourth set and took the match 3-1. Kate Hennessy and Andrea Zaric were tied for the team lead in kills with ten. Kaitlin Murphy put on a block party, finishing with seven, and most of them came during a stretch in the fourth set where the Lakers pulled away. Alexa Mitchell continued to dish out assists as she finished with 33. In a loss to Slippery Rock, the Lakers took the first set 34-32 in a back-and-forth affair. Slippery Rock rattled off three straight wins and took the set 3-1. Kate Hennessy had 18 kills and 24 digs, which led the Lakers. Alexa Mitchell did what she always does and racked up assists, finishing with 41 assists.
Stats Leaders
Kills: Kate Hennessy (204), Andrea Zaric (159), Kaitlin Murphy (118)
Assists: Alexa Mitchell (484), Madalynn Ward (81), Alia Mastromatteo (39)
Aces: Alexa Mitchell (25), Alia Mastromatteo (20), Kate Hennessy (18)
Blocks: Kaitlin Murphy (48), Maggie Thomas (18), Kate Hennessy (17)
Digs: Paige Miller (204), Kate Hennessy (173), Corinne Bechtold (156)
A Look at the Opponents
Clarion is 19-5 overall and 9-3 in the PSAC. The Golden Eagles are led by Cassidy Snider, London Fuller, and Finley Kearney. Snider leads the Golden Eagles in kills with 420, Fuller leads the Golden Eagles in assists with 978, and Kearney leads them in blocks with 68. UPJ is 17-8 overall and 7-5 in the PSAC. The Mountain Cats are led by Lualis Alvarado, Adiamar Beaz, and Mallory Pinske. Alvarado leads the Mountain Cats in kills with 293, Beaz leads them in assists with 868, and Pinske leads them in blocks with 62.
Start time for the matchup with Clarion is set for 6 PM on Friday, followed by a 1 PM start against UPJ.
