Recap courtesy of Mercy University Sports Information
WALTHAM, MA – Despite four Mavericks recording five or more kills, the No. 6 seeded Mercy University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (22-25, 28-30, 17-25) decision to No. 3 seeded American International College in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday afternoon at the Dana Center.
Box Score
The Mavericks (16-11) see their season end in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year after not making the tournament since 2005. Mercy finishes with their most wins in a season since 2005 and finished runner-up in the ECC for the first time since 2005. The Mavericks scored more points in all three sets against the Yellow Jackets (20-6) than they did in their first meeting on November 6th. AIC has won 19 matches in a row and will face No. 7 seed Georgian Court in the Second Round tomorrow at Bentley.
Mercy was led by freshman Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) who had a team-high 10 kills with seven digs. Junior Gabriela Bieniek (Rzeszow, Poland/Indian Hills CC) had nine kills and seven digs and sophomore Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) had a team-high 31 assists with seven digs. Sophomore Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) had seven kills and sophomore Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) had six kills. Junior Samantha Cooney (Nyack, N.Y./Nyack) had a match-high-tying eight digs and senior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) recorded four digs.
AIC was led by Victoria Soto Burgos who had a match-high 11 kills.
Mercy held a 7-6 lead in set one after a Dilena kill before AIC scored the next three points to take a 9-7 lead. The Mavericks recorded three consecutive points to retake the lead at 10-9 after an Illes-Hair kill. Mercy later held a 14-12 lead after another Illes-Hair kill before the Yellow Jackets rallied with a 7-1 run to take a 19-15 lead. The Mavericks tallied the next five points to take a 20-19 lead before AIC went on a 4-1 run to take a 23-21 lead. A Dilena kill made it 23-22, but back-to-back AIC points gave the Yellow Jackets the opening set, 25-22.
AIC jumped out to a 7-4 lead in set two before Mercy rallied with a 9-5 run to take a 13-12 lead after back-to-back kills from Bieniek. The Mavericks later held a 24-23 lead, serving for set point before a Soto Burgos kill tied the set at 24-24. AIC took a 25-24 lead and later held a 27-26 lead serving for set point. Mercy scored the next two points to take a 28-27 lead, serving again for set point, but AIC scored the final three points of the set to take the set, 30-28. The second set featured 21 ties and seven lead changes.
Mercy scored the first point of the third set before AIC scored 10 unanswered points to take a 10-1 lead. The Mavericks went on a 5-1 run to make it 11-6 after a Rivera Rodriguez and Illes-Hair block. The Yellow Jackets followed with an 11-6 run to take a 22-12 lead and held on for the 25-17 set three win to earn the win in three sets.
Mercy hit .198 with 36 kills, 39 digs, five blocks and eight aces. AIC hit .255 with 41 kills, 33 digs, nine blocks and 10 aces.