Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst volleyball team opened up day one of the Mercyhurst Invitational, presented by Scott Enterprises, losing their first matchup 3-0 against Morehead State and winning their second matchup of the day 3-2 against Siena. The Lakers showed great signs of resilience, and look to improve moving forward.

Game One
The Lakers fell behind 4-0 in the opening set before Ava Carney put the home side on the board off an Alyssa Krause assist and Kelsie Gaiter-Davis followed with a service ace to make it 4-2. Julia Shepherd added early kills from Krause at 5-3 and 7-4, while Carney, Trinity Tatupu, Roslyn Guerra and Mia Mattingly later helped the Lakers keep finding sideouts as Morehead St. maintained separation. The Lakers moved from 18-11 to 18-13 on a Shepherd kill and a Morehead St. setting error, but the visitors answered by taking the final seven points. Morehead St. closed the set with a 25-13 score.

Mattingly's kill from Krause opened the second set for the Lakers, who later pulled even at 4-4 on Shepherd's second early kill, but Morehead St. answered with six straight points to create separation. Tatupu stopped that stretch with a kill from Aliyah Angelici, and Carney added another point for the Lakers before Morehead St. extended the margin to 21-6. The Lakers responded with a 4-0 run behind Payton Melin's kill, Krause's service ace and a Mattingly block on a Morehead St. attack error to reach 21-10. Morehead St. took the final four points and finished the set 25-10.

The Lakers made their closest late push when Melin's kill, a Morehead St. attack error and Guerra's kill brought the set to 17-16, but Morehead St. answered with four straight points to move ahead 21-16. Earlier, the Lakers fell behind 4-1 before Guerra and Mattingly put down kills off Krause assists to cut the margin to 4-3. Mercyhurst continued to counter in stretches, getting kills from Carney and Kalyani Olive before a Shepherd-Mattingly block and a Shepherd kill helped bring the score to 14-12. Melin added another late kill, Krause served an ace and Mattingly put away a kill with the Lakers facing set point, but Morehead St. closed the set 25-20.

Shepherd led the Lakers with six kills and 7.0 points, adding two block assists. Krause finished with 12 assists and two service aces. Gaiter-Davis collected five digs and added a service ace. Mattingly recorded four kills, one solo block and one block assist.

Game Two
The Lakers' largest response in the first set came after a 9-6 deficit, when Payton Melin's kill, Alyssa Krause's service ace and Roslyn Guerra's kill helped move the Lakers in front 10-9. Earlier, the Lakers had fallen behind 3-0 before Julia Shepherd put down two early kills and Madison Miner added two more to keep the set within reach. Mia Mattingly's kill gave the Lakers an 11-10 edge, and the teams were later tied at 12-12 before Siena built a 20-13 lead. Kelsie Gaiter-Davis, Miner and Ava Carney contributed points during the Lakers' late push, but Siena closed out the set 25-18.

Mercyhurst built and protected an early cushion in the second set, opening with a Sydney Forcht kill, a Shepherd kill from Krause and a service ace during Anna Logan's service turn for a 3-0 lead before later pushing ahead 9-4. Melin and Carney added kills in the early run, and Shepherd continued to finish Krause sets as the Lakers stretched the set to 16-8 and 19-10. Siena answered from a 20-12 deficit with five straight points, using kills and Lakers errors to close within 20-17. The Lakers stopped the surge with a Miner kill, got a Mattingly block and a Krause ace to reach set point, then closed the set on a Siena bad set for a 25-19 win.

The Lakers turned a 10-7 deficit into a 12-11 lead, with Krause's service ace helping pull the set even before Guerra and Shepherd delivered back-to-back kills. Earlier, the Lakers opened with a Mattingly kill and a service ace before Siena moved in front through the middle of the set. After Siena tied it at 12-12, the Lakers pushed ahead 20-15 as Mattingly, Shepherd, Melin, Aliyah Angelici and Guerra recorded kills, while Miner and Gaiter-Davis added service aces. Siena cut the margin to 22-21, but Shepherd answered with a kill, Mattingly followed with a block on a Siena attack error, and the Lakers finished the set on a Siena setting error for a 25-22 win.

Mercyhurst's clearest push came after Siena built a 14-7 lead, as Guerra answered with a kill and Krause served through four straight points, including a Shepherd block and Krause ace, to pull the Lakers within 14-12. Earlier, the Lakers opened the set with the first point and tied it at 4-4 on an Angelici service ace before Siena used a stretch of kills and service pressure to move in front. Shepherd kept the Lakers connected in the middle of the set with three kills during a span that brought the score from 15-12 to 20-15, and Sarah Barnum's serve helped add another point at 20-16. The Lakers made one more late run behind a Carney kill, a Melin kill, an Angelici ace and a Kalyani Olive kill to close within 22-20, but Siena answered and finished the set 25-21.

The Lakers erased a 13-7 deficit in the fifth set, using a 7-0 run that began with a Mattingly kill and continued through six straight Logan service points to move ahead 14-13. Earlier, Siena scored the first five points and kept the Lakers chasing, but Guerra, Shepherd and Mattingly provided kills as the Lakers worked back into the set. During the late surge, Logan delivered two aces, Mattingly and Olive teamed on two blocks, and Shepherd added two kills to complete the comeback push. After Siena tied the set at 14-14, Shepherd put down back-to-back kills from Krause to finish a 16-14 Lakers win.

Shepherd led the Lakers with 23 kills and 24.0 points while hitting .381. Krause recorded 27 assists and four service aces. Logan tallied five service aces and added six digs. Miner collected 13 digs, four kills and two service aces.

Looking ahead, the Lakers will take on Clevaland State on Saturday, Sep. 5 at 2 p.m. This will conclude the Mercyhurst Invitational, presented by Scott Enterprises.