YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mercyhurst volleyball team opened up their 2026 season at the Youngstown State Invitational. In their first game, the Lakers matched up against the Youngstown State Penguins, but ultimately lost in three sets. In their second game, they played against the Canisius Golden Griffs, which the Lakers won in five sets.
Game One
The match opened with Mercyhurst gaining an early point through a kill by
Julia Shepherd, assisted by
Alyssa Krause. However, Youngstown State quickly responded, capitalizing on several errors to take a 5-1 lead. The Lakers managed to break the run with a service error from Youngstown State but struggled to shift momentum significantly as Youngstown State extended its lead to 11-4.
Midway through the set, Mercyhurst saw contributions from
Mia Mattingly and Shepherd, both delivering key kills to narrow the gap slightly, bringing the score to 13-7. Despite these efforts, Youngstown State maintained control, with effective serves and a consistent attack, pushing the score to 20-10.
As the set neared its end, Mercyhurst showed resilience with kills from
Ava Carney and
Roslyn Guerra, bringing their score to 17, but Youngstown State closed the set with a 25-17 victory.
Mercyhurst engaged in a closely contested second set, initially maintaining pace with Youngstown State through key plays by Shepherd and Carney. Shepherd contributed two early kills, while Carney added several points, keeping the score tight in the early stages.
Aliyah Angelici's back-to-back service aces briefly shifted momentum in favor of the Lakers, bringing the score to 6-4.
Despite these efforts, Youngstown State capitalized on a series of service aces and strategic plays, pulling ahead as the set progressed. Although
Madison Miner and Mattingly managed to secure late points for Mercyhurst, the set concluded with a 25-16 lead for Youngstown State.
The third set started with a strong run by Youngstown State, as it quickly established a 5-0 lead through effective plays and capitalizing on errors. Mercyhurst responded with a kill by Shepherd and a key block from Carney and Shepherd, narrowing the gap to 5-2. Although Mercyhurst managed a few effective plays, including a service ace from Krause, Youngstown State maintained momentum with a series of service aces and consistent attacks.
The Lakers continued to battle, with
Kalyani Olive and Shepherd securing kills to keep the pressure on Youngstown State. Despite these efforts, Youngstown State extended its lead with powerful kills and aces, reaching a 19-9 advantage. Although Mercyhurst managed to add points through Guerra and Olive, Youngstown State ultimately closed the set with a 25-13 victory.
Shepherd led Lakers squad by posting eight kills on 15 attempts, hitting at a .333 efficiency. Krause contributed with 13 assists and added one service ace. Carney showcased a strong offensive performance, recording six kills with a .750 hitting percentage. Angelici also made a notable impact with eight assists and two service aces.
Game Two
The match began with Mercyhurst establishing an early rhythm, quickly leveling the score at 1-1 with a kill from
Mia Mattingly, assisted by
Alyssa Krause. The Lakers then pulled ahead with a series of scoring plays, including kills by
Ava Carney and
Madison Miner, and a service ace from Miner, bringing the score to 6-3.
Mercyhurst continued to build momentum midway through the set, highlighted by
Roslyn Guerra's kill and a service ace by
Anna Logan, extending its lead to 13-7. Despite a brief response from Canisius, the Lakers maintained control with effective blocks from
Julia Shepherd and
Mia Mattingly, furthering their advantage to 15-9.
As the set progressed, Mercyhurst reinforced its lead with decisive kills by
Kalyani Olive and
Julia Shepherd, along with a service ace from Krause, reaching 22-14. Closing out the set, Mattingly secured the final points with back-to-back kills, leading Mercyhurst to a 25-15 victory in the first set.
Mercyhurst opened the second set with a crucial momentum shift, capitalizing on multiple Canisius errors to establish an early lead. Shepherd and Guerra led the offensive charge with key kills, supported by Krause's precise assists. Despite Canisius's attempts to close the gap, the Lakers maintained their advantage through consistent scoring and effective service aces, particularly from Mattingly and
Anna Logan.
Shepherd continued to be a pivotal figure, contributing numerous points that extended Mercyhurst's lead. The team effectively countered Canisius's efforts with defensive stops and timely kills throughout the set. Mercyhurst secured the set with a 25-19 score, reinforcing its position with a confident finish.
The third set began with Mercyhurst gaining initial momentum, as Shepherd delivered a kill assisted by Krause, followed by a block from
Sarah Barnum and Shepherd, putting them up 2-0. A service ace by Barnum and a subsequent kill by Miner extended Mercyhurst's lead to 6-3. Despite an equalizing push from Canisius, Carney and Guerra each secured kills to keep the score tight at 8-8.
Mercyhurst continued to press forward with a service ace from
Aliyah Angelici, reducing the gap to 18-17 after overcoming a series of attacks. However, Canisius responded with a strong run, highlighted by service aces and kills, stretching its lead to 23-17. The Lakers managed to cut the lead to 24-20 with defensive efforts, including a block by Barnum and Olive, but a late service error allowed Canisius to close the set 25-20.
The fourth set began with Mercyhurst trailing but quickly responding with a kill by Krause, assisted by Miner, to level the score at 1-1. Guerra and Carney contributed with key kills, keeping the Lakers in close contention as the set progressed.
Momentum shifted in favor of Mercyhurst midway through, propelled by Guerra's repeated successful attacks and a service ace from
Kelsie Gaiter-Davis, which helped reduce Canisius's lead to 10-11. The team battled back to a 13-13 tie, with Mattingly and Shepherd delivering crucial kills.
The set remained tightly contested as Mercyhurst managed to overcome a brief deficit, reaching a 19-19 tie. Late kills by Guerra and Mattingly kept the Lakers competitive, pushing the score to 24-24. Despite a strong effort, Mercyhurst fell short in the closing moments, with Canisius securing the set 27-25.
In the decisive fifth set, Mercyhurst took control early with a kill by Shepherd, assisted by Krause, to put them on the board. A series of scoring plays followed, including a block by Carney and Shepherd and a kill by Miner, which extended Mercyhurst's lead to 4-1.
Momentum stayed with the Lakers as Guerra and Carney added to the score, capitalizing on a service error and an attack error by Canisius. Mercyhurst's scoring run was facilitated by errors from Canisius, allowing them to stretch the lead further to 11-4.
Despite Canisius narrowing the gap with a series of points, Mercyhurst maintained their edge with a kill by Carney and a final service error by Canisius. The set closed with a 15-12 victory for the Lakers, securing the match.
Julia Shepherd led Mercyhurst with 15 kills and contributed five total blocks, finishing with 17.5 points.
Alyssa Krause recorded 30 assists and added two service aces.
Roslyn Guerra finished with 16 kills, contributing significantly to the team's offensive output.
Ava Carney added 13 kills and three block assists, amassing 14.5 points for the match.
Looking ahead, Mercyhurst faces Duquesne in day two of the Youngstown State Invitational. The game is set on Aug. 29 at noon in Youngstown, Ohio.
