Box Score ATHENS, Ohio — Mercyhurst lost to Ohio 3-1 (22-25, 16-25, 25-16, 20-25) on Saturday. The Lakers hit .323 with 12 kills and two attack errors in their third-set win, but finished with a .181 hitting percentage for the match.

The Lakers pushed the opening set into a late tie before Ohio finished a 25-22 win. Earlier, the Lakers answered a 2-0 start by Ohio with three straight points, including a Julia Shepherd kill from Alyssa Krause, to move in front 3-2. Ohio later built separation at 7-4 and stayed ahead through the middle of the set, but the Lakers kept closing the gap with kills from Madison Miner, Payton Melin, Mia Mattingly and Roslyn Guerra, plus a Miner-Ava Carney block. After trailing 17-14, Guerra's block and an Ohio error helped Mercyhurst get within one, and kills by Carney and Shepherd tied the set at 18-18. Miner added late kills to keep the Lakers within 23-22, but Ohio took the final two points to close the set.

The Lakers' biggest push of the second set came after Ohio moved in front 6-2, as Guerra put down early kills from Krause and Mya Comer added an ace before Miner's kill and a Mattingly-Guerra block tied it at 9-9. Ohio moved back ahead, but the Lakers stayed within a point at 13-12 on a Melin kill and a Shepherd kill from Krause. The home team answered with three straight points for a 16-12 lead, and the Lakers later got points from an Ohio service error, an Ohio attack error and a Miner kill from Comer while trying to keep pace. Ohio scored the final four points after Miner's late kill and took the set 25-16.

The Lakers built control of the third set immediately, taking the first four points on Krause's serve, including a Shepherd kill and Krause service ace, before stretching the lead to 8-1 with back-to-back kills from Carney. The Lakers continued to answer Ohio sideouts with points of their own, getting kills from Shepherd, Miner and Melin while adding blocks from Melin and the tandem of Kalyani Olive and Carney. After Mercyhurst moved ahead 22-12, Ohio scored three straight points, but Krause stopped that stretch with a kill from Miner. Carney and Olive followed with a block to bring up set point, and Miner finished the 25-16 set win with a kill from Krause.

The Lakers opened the fourth set with a 7-0 run, using Krause's serve to get two Shepherd kills, an Anna Logan kill, two Ohio errors and Krause ace. The Lakers pushed the margin to 10-2 after Logan ace and a Miner kill, then stayed ahead 14-11 on an Ohio attack error. Ohio answered with a run that included consecutive Emily Waddell service aces to tie the set at 14-14 and move in front 15-14, but the Lakers responded with a Comer kill, a Guerra kill and an Ohio error to pull even again at 17-17. Shepherd added late kills to keep the Lakers within 20-19 and 21-20, before Ohio scored the final four points to take the set 25-20.

Shepherd led the Lakers with 13 kills while hitting .346. Krause finished with 22 assists, 11 digs and two service aces. Miner added 10 kills and eight digs. Comer converted her lone attack and recorded 10 assists.

The Lakers return to the court to play FDU in their first NEC match of the year on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. in Teaneck, N.J.

View the 2026 schedule here.