Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ATHENS, Ohio - The Mercyhurst volleyball team competed at the Bobcat Invitational, taking on the UNC Asheville Bulldogs and the Morgan State Bears. In their first game, the Lakers lost with a final score of 3-1 to the Bulldogs. However, in their second game, Mercyhurst took a demanding 3-0 victory against the Bears.

Game One
The Lakers erased an early deficit to draw even at 9-9 in the first set, but UNC Asheville answered and closed out the set 25-19. Earlier, the Lakers fell behind 3-0 before getting on the board through a UNC Asheville attack error, an Ava Carney block and a Julia Shepherd kill set by Alyssa Krause. Madison Miner later put down a kill from Aliyah Angelici, and Payton Melin teamed with Mia Mattingly on a block to pull the Lakers level at 9-9. UNC Asheville moved back in front and stretched the score to 16-10, before Roslyn Guerra delivered consecutive Lakers points with two kills and Carney added another to make it 16-13. Shepherd, Guerra and Mattingly added late kills as the Lakers stayed within reach, but UNC Asheville finished the set with the final two points.

Mercyhurst recovered from a late 21-20 deficit and took the second set 25-22, winning four of the final five points behind Shepherd's late kills and an Anna Logan service ace. Earlier, the Lakers traded points through the opening stretch, with Shepherd, Carney, Mattingly and Miner all contributing kills before Miner served back-to-back aces for an 8-6 lead. The Lakers later built the margin to 18-13 during Miner's service turn, helped by two Guerra kills and a UNC Asheville attack error. UNC Asheville answered with a run that included Sarah Wadsworth's attacking and serving to move in front 21-20, but Shepherd tied the set with a kill from Krause. A UNC Asheville attack error put the Lakers back ahead, Shepherd added another kill, Logan's ace brought up set point, and Shepherd finished the set with a final kill from Krause.

The third set stayed within reach late for the Lakers, who moved ahead 23-22 on a Miner kill from Logan before UNC Asheville scored the final three points to take the set 25-23. Earlier, Mattingly and Melin combined on a block before Mya Comer served back-to-back aces, giving the Lakers an 8-4 lead. Guerra helped keep the Lakers in front through the middle of the set with three kills, while Sydney Forcht and Carney each added service aces as the Lakers led 16-13. UNC Asheville later moved in front 21-19, but the Lakers answered to tie the set at 21-21 and again at 22-22 before briefly retaking the lead on Miner's late kill.

The Lakers' main push came after they fell behind 11-5, cutting the deficit to 16-14 before UNC Asheville finished the fourth set with a 25-18 win. Earlier, Mattingly and Miner delivered kills as Mercyhurst answered an early 5-2 hole and tied the set at 5-5. UNC Asheville then built the 11-5 lead, but the Lakers worked back with kills from Comer, Melin, Guerra, Carney and Miner, followed by an Erin Robbins service ace to get within two. Mattingly added another kill after the gap moved back to 17-14, and Guerra put down back-to-back late kills to make it 22-18 before UNC Asheville scored the final three points.

Guerra led the Lakers with 13 kills on 38 attacks. Miner recorded a team-high 13 digs, added six kills and served two aces. Krause finished with a team-best 14 assists and six digs. Mattingly posted five kills while hitting .308 and matched the team lead with four total blocks.

Game Two
The Lakers won a back-and-forth opening set 26-24, closing the set after Morgan St. forced extra points. Earlier, Ava Carney put away two early kills from Alyssa Krause to keep the Lakers level in the opening points, and after Morgan St. went up 5-2, a Julia Shepherd kill and Aliyah Angelici's service turn helped Mercyhurst move ahead 6-5. The Lakers continued trading points through the middle of the set, using kills from Shepherd, Mia Mattingly and Payton Melin along with blocks involving Carney, Roslyn Guerra, Shepherd and Melin as the set moved through repeated ties. When Morgan St. moved in front 19-16, Guerra's kill started a four-point Lakers response that included a Melin block and put the home side ahead 20-19; Krause later served an ace and set Guerra for a kill during the push to 23-21. After Carney's kill gave the Lakers set point at 24-22 and Morgan St. tied it at 24-24, a Morgan St. service error put the Lakers back at set point before Sydney Forcht ended the set with an ace.

The Lakers erased a 23-20 deficit in the second set and scored the final five points, closing the set on Krause's serve for a 25-23 win. Earlier, the Lakers fell behind 9-4 before cutting the gap to 12-11, with Carney finishing a three-point stretch on Krause's serve with a kill. Morgan St. pushed back to 17-11 and later led 22-18, but the Lakers kept working back behind kills from Shepherd, Mattingly and consecutive finishes by Melin. After a Morgan St. service error made it 23-21, Krause assisted kills by Shepherd, Carney and Shepherd again, then served an ace to complete the set.

The Lakers turned the third set after trailing 17-15, getting kills from Sarah Barnum and Guerra, a Morgan St. setting error and an attack error to move in front before Shepherd's kill made it 20-18. Earlier, Krause opened the set with a service ace as Mercyhurst built a 2-0 start, and Shepherd added two early kills while Madison Miner, Mattingly and Carney helped keep the set close through the middle points. Morgan St. pushed ahead 15-11, but the Lakers answered with points from Mattingly, Mya Comer at the service line, Miner and Barnum to get back within range. After Shepherd's kill put the Lakers up 20-18, Carney added a kill, Miner and Carney combined on a block, Anna Logan served an ace and Shepherd finished the set with a kill for a 25-22 Lakers win.

Carney recorded nine kills while hitting .571 and added five total blocks. Shepherd led the Lakers with 11 kills on 20 attacks and finished with 11.5 points. Krause tallied 19 assists and three service aces. Kelsie Gaiter-Davis collected nine digs.

The Lakers will continue their season at day two of the Bobcat Invitational when they face Ohio on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m.

View the 2026 schedule here.