DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Grace Dilena posted 17 kills, nine digs, and four service aces to lead No. 1 Mercy to the 2025 ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship title with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-19, 25-18) of No. 2 Molloy at Mercy's Judge Athletic Center in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. on Saturday evening. With the victory, the Mavs earn the ECC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
For her efforts of a combined 31 kills and 11 digs across Mercy’s sweeps of No. 4 D’Youville and No. 2 Molloy, Dilena was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
BOX SCORE
Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes added 12 kills on 19 attempts for a 57.9 hitting percentage against the Lions while unanimous ECC Setter of the Year Adriana Rivera Rodriguez paced the Mavericks’ offense with 37 assists to go with a nine digs and a pair of service aces.
ECC Player of the Year Gabriela Bieniek notched nine kills and eight digs, Kamila Colon added seven assists and eight digs, and All-ECC Second Team selection Mia Illes-Hair contributed defensively with three total blocks and offensively with five kills.
Mercy hit 31.7 percent with 49 kills, 47 digs, nine aces, and four blocks while Molloy hit 22.2 percent with 34 kills, 32 digs, one ace, and six blocks.
The Mavericks hit at a clip of 42.9 percent in the opening set, with All-ECC First Team selection Dilena attacking at 50.0 percent with seven kills to go with four digs on the defensive end and Rivera Rodriguez pacing with 16 assists.
With the Mavericks holding a 23-17 lead, Molloy went on a 4-1 run with a pair of kills from All-ECC Second Team selection Erin Stanley, Teresa Moulder, and ECC All-Conference Honorable Mention Haven Trechter, but Rivera Rodriguez dished out her 16th assist as she set up Rodriguez Fuentes, who dropped it in with perfect placement for the final kill of Mercy’s 25-21, first-set win.
The Mavs jumped out to a 9-0 advantage in the second set in large part due to a pair of kills each from Illes-Hair and Bieniek along with four service aces from Dilena.
A big block from Moulder brought Molloy to within four, 18-14, and a couple key kills from Stanley kept the Lions within reach, but back-to-back Dilena kills and a combined block from Illes-Hair and Rivera Rodriguez secured the second-set win, 25-19.
Mercy jumped ahead 10-7 in the third set, but Molloy strung together a 4-0 run on kills from All-ECC First Team selection Julia Zalta and All-ECC Second Team selections Isabella Rios and Ilaria Micol Chiericati, along with a Mercy attack error, to take an 11-10 lead.
Mercy closed out the set effectively, with Kori Sessions and Rodriguez Fuentes delivering decisive kills. Colon added two service aces, extending the advantage to 23-16. The set concluded with a final kill by Rodriguez Fuentes, sealing a 25-18 victory for the Mavericks and Mercy's first ECC Championship since 2001.
For the Lions, Zalta had 16 assists with five kills and six digs while unanimous ECC Libero of the Year Aria Miller recorded 12 digs. Stanley posted a team-high eight kills. Moulder, Rios, and Trechter contributed six kills apiece, with Moulder adding three blocks and both Rios and Trechter contributed five digs apiece.