ERIE, Pa. — Mercyhurst (7-12, 3-4 NEC) lost to Central Conn. St. (5-15, 3-4 NEC) 3-1 on Friday. After taking the second set 25-19, the Lakers dropped consecutive 26-24 sets to close the match despite totaling 13 blocks to Central Conn. St.'s four.
The Lakers dropped the first set 25-19 after cutting a five-point deficit to 17-15 in the middle of the set before Central Conn. St. finished late. Earlier,
Alyssa Krause opened with a service ace and set up kills by
Julia Shepherd and
Ava Carney as the Lakers answered an early 5-2 Central Conn. St. edge and later tied the set at 8-8 and 10-10. Central Conn. St. later moved from 13-11 to 16-11, but the Lakers' response included a Shepherd kill, a
Mia Mattingly-Shepherd block, a
Madison Miner kill and a Central Conn. St. attack error to get within two. Mattingly,
Roslyn Guerra and
Payton Melin supplied late kills, but Central Conn. St. reached set point at 24-18 and closed the set at 25-19.
The Lakers overcame an 8-5 deficit in the second set and moved in front 10-9, with Guerra and Melin delivering kills and Mattingly and Melin combining on a block during the response. Earlier, Carney, Miner and Guerra helped keep Mercyhurst close as Central Conn. St. built its early edge with kills and service points. After the set tightened again, Shepherd added consecutive-sideout offense in the middle stages, and the Lakers later pushed from 18-17 to 21-17 with a Mattingly kill, an attack error and a Melin block. Guerra added two late kills, while Carney and Shepherd combined on a block before the Lakers closed out the set 25-19.
The Lakers rallied from a 20-18 deficit to lead 23-21 and later had set point on a Shepherd kill, but Central Conn. St. scored the final three points to take the third set 26-24. Earlier, after Central Conn. St. built an 11-6 lead, Mercyhurst answered with four straight points, including a Krause service ace and a Shepherd kill, to close within 11-10. The Lakers kept responding through the middle of the set, getting kills from Carney,
Trinity Tatupu, Melin and Guerra while blocks from Carney, Miner, Shepherd and Mattingly helped slow Central Conn. St. swings. Shepherd tied the set at 21-21, Miner followed with a kill for a 22-21 lead, and a Mattingly-Shepherd block pushed the Lakers ahead 23-21 before Central Conn. St. came back to finish the set.
The Lakers moved within one point of taking the set at 24-19 on
Roslyn Guerra's kill, but Central Conn. St. scored the final seven points to take the fourth set, 26-24. Earlier, the Lakers opened an 8-3 lead behind consecutive Miner kills and a
Mya Comer service ace before Central Conn. St. tied it at 8-8. The Lakers answered with another push, getting a Mattingly kill and ace, then later using kills from Carney and Guerra during a Krause service turn to go ahead 15-10. Mercyhurst stayed in front through the middle and late stages, with Mattingly, Carney and Guerra supplying kills and Carney adding a block assist, before Central Conn. St.'s closing run erased the 24-19 margin.
Guerra led the Lakers with 11 kills and 12 points, adding one solo block. Shepherd finished with nine kills and five total blocks. Carney collected seven total blocks and added five kills while hitting .333. Krause recorded 20 assists, two service aces and six digs.
The Lakers will return to the court when they play Central Conn. St. on Oct. 24. Coverage is set to begin at 1 p.m.
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