SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Mercyhurst University (9-17, 7-6 NEC) swept Le Moyne College (4-21, 3-10 NEC) in straight sets on Tuesday at Ted Grant Court, winning 25-18, 26-24, 25-15. The Lakers' efficient attack was highlighted by a .297 hitting percentage in the third set.

Mercyhurst commenced the first set with a strong start, taking the first three points, initiated by Andrea Zaric's kill from Alia Mastromatteo's setup. The Lakers maintained momentum with a series of successful plays, including a service ace by Alyssa Krause and multiple kills from Kaitlin Murphy, which extended their lead. Despite a mid-set push from Le Moyne, closing the gap to 13-11, the Lakers responded decisively. Julia Shepherd and Roslyn Guerra contributed crucial points, enabling Mercyhurst to regain control. The set concluded with a run of consecutive points, including a block error by Nina Salas and another kill from Payton Melin, securing a 25-18 lead for the visitors at the close of the first set.

The second set began with a series of exchanges, but the Lakers gained momentum with a block by Julia Shepherd and Mia Mattingly followed by a service ace from Mattingly. Krause's service ace further boosted the visitors' lead to 5-3. The Lakers extended their advantage through crucial plays by Shepherd and Guerra, reaching a 7-3 lead. Le Moyne responded, but Mercyhurst maintained their edge with two kills by Kaitlin Murphy. Despite Le Moyne narrowing the gap, Shepherd continued to be pivotal, contributing multiple kills to push the visitors ahead. The set remained tightly contested, with the Lakers holding a slight lead. In the final stretch, Andrea Zaric's block and Shepherd's repeated kills helped Mercyhurst withstand Le Moyne's late push. The set concluded with a service ace by Anna Logan, securing a 26-24 win for the Lakers.

Mercyhurst began the third set with a decisive momentum shift, capitalizing on a service ace by Brice Hansen to level the score at 1-1 before pushing ahead. Madison Miner contributed significantly with multiple kills, and Krause facilitated successful plays, including a kill by Melin. The team maintained a steady lead, extending it to 8-4 with a series of opponent errors and key offensive plays. The set continued to favor Mercyhurst as Kaitlin Murphy and Zaric added to the team's tally, leading to a 14-9 margin. The team displayed strong defensive plays, such as a block by Murphy and Melin, which helped maintain their advantage. The Lakers' effective execution resulted in a commanding 19-9 lead, further widened by consistent scoring contributions from Melin and Miner. Despite Le Moyne's efforts to narrow the gap, the Lakers sustained their lead through to the end, with Jessica Wilson and Trinity Tatupu making critical plays. The set concluded with Mercyhurst capitalizing on a service error by Le Moyne, sealing the set with a 25-15 victory.

Shepherd led the offensive effort with nine kills and a hitting percentage of .421, while also contributing eight digs and two block assists. Mastromatteo excelled in setting, recording 16 assists and adding five digs. Murphy was effective at the net, finishing with seven kills on a .636 hitting percentage and adding four block assists. Additionally, Krause made an impact from the service line with three aces and anchored the defense with nine digs.

In their next game, the Lakers will face Le Moyne on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The matchup will take place in Syracuse, New York.