Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Volleyball is back on the road this weekend as they travel to Canton, Oh. for matchups with Malone and Frostburg State on Friday. They then travel to North Canton, Oh. for matchups with Fairmont State and Walsh on Saturday.
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History Lesson
The Lakers are 1-2 all-time against Malone, with their only win coming a year ago in five sets. This will be the first time that the Lakers will play Frostburg State in a match. The Lakers will play Fairmont State for the first time since 2019. Frostburg State leads the all-time series 3-1, which includes three straight wins. This will be the second ever matchup between the Lakers and Walsh. The only match these two have played came in 2021. When Walsh came out on top in four sets.
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Tough Start
The Laker's first two matches of the season against Chestnut Hill and Roberts Wesleyan were cancelled. They then played Millersville and Wilmington in tough matches that both went to five sets, and eventually the Lakers would drop both of those matches. Against Millersville the Lakers dropped the first two sets but fought back by winning the next two sets to force a set five. The match against Wilmington was back and forth. Wilmington won sets one, three, and five, while the Lakers won sets two and four.
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Individual Play
Some individuals that stood out in the Millersville game were Andrea Zaric who finished the match with 17 kills. Alexa Mitchell had seven service aces and 41 assists, Kaitlyn Murphy had six blocks, and Paige Miller had 14 digs. In the Wilmington match Kate Hennessy had 17 kills, Alyssa Krause had three service aces, Kaitlyn Murphy had four blocks, Alexa Mitchell had 35 assists, and Paige Miller had 21 digs.
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Looking for Success
The Lakers look to have a better start this year than the one they did a season ago. At this point a season ago the Lakers were 1-5, so the Lakers are looking to get hot early in the season and ride that momentum throughout the season. This weekend's matchup could be a launching pad for this year's squad.
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A Look at the Opponent
Malone finished the 2022 season with a record of 11-19. They are off to a 0-4 start this season with a loss to eighth ranked Minnesota Duluth. Frostburg State is coming off a 16-16 season in 2022 and is off to a 2-2 start this season. Fairmont State finished the 2022 season with a record of 29-6, they clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament but would fall to 4-seed Charlston. They are off to a 3-2 start this season. Walsh finished the 2022 season with a record of 16-12. They are off to a 4-0 start this season.
The match on Friday against Malone is set for 10:00 AM, followed by a break and then the Lakers will take on Frostburg State at 4:45 PM. The match against Fairmont State on Saturday is set for 11:15 PM, followed by the Walsh match at 1:30 PM.
