Women's Volleyball

No. 1 Mercy and No. 2 D’Youville Advance to ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship Final

No. 1 Mercy – 3 | No. 4 Molloy – 0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-19)
Judge Athletic Center | Dobbs Ferry, NY
Box Score
 
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Top-seeded Mercy (25-1, 12-0 ECC) earned a sweep over No. 4 Molloy (11-16, 6-6 ECC) on Friday afternoon in the 2026 ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship Semifinal Round at Mercy’s Judge Athletic Center in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
 
The match began with Molloy scoring the first two points of the set, but Mercy quickly responded, scoring the next six points, highlighted by back-to-back service aces from ECC Player of the Year, Grace Dilena, capping off the rally at 9-1 to take a 9-3 lead. The Lions cut into the lead a few times (13-10, 14-11) before the Mavericks ran off an 8-1 advantage, to go up by double digits, 22-12, before eventually taking the first set 25-13.
 
Mercy jumped out to 4-0 lead by way of three Molloy errors. Molloy kept pace and eventually took the lead by going on an 11-5 run, going up 11-9 in set. Knotted at 12, Mercy scored three straight points, with kills by Stasa Stamenkovic and Mia Illes-Hair, to take a 15-12 lead. The lead extended to 22-16 after a kill from Dilena. A block by Illes-Hair and Dilena would win the set, 25-17 for Mercy.
 
In the third and final set, the Mavs stormed out to a 7-2 advantage. Molloy clawed back to tie the set at 14-14 following a service ace by Isabella Rios. With things all even at 15-15, Mercy took full control of the set, with Stamenkovic recording a kill and a pair of service aces to push the Mavs to a commanding 23-16 lead. One last kill by Dilena would propel Mercy to the title match.
 
Mercy returns to the ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship Final for third consecutive season and for the 10th time in program history. The Mavs will host the Final on Saturday afternoon at 5:00 p.m.
 
Mercy Notes
  • Stamenkovic stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with a game-high 19 kills to lead the Mavericks, while also having seven digs, two aces, and two blocks.
  • Dilena added eight kills, five service aces, and a pair of blocks.
  • Illes-Hair had five kills.
  • ECC Setter of the Year, Adriana Rivera Rodriguez anchored the offense with 30 assists and chipped in with eight digs.
  • Isabella Brown led the team with 11 digs.
  • Mercy extended its winning streak to 17 matches and picked up its eighth sweep of the fall over an ECC opponent (19th total).
  • The defending champs are back in the Championship Final for the third time in as many years and will look to win their fifth championship title.
 
Molloy Notes
  • Molloy’s kills leaders included Erin Stanley (8), Kailie Girard (6), and Rios (4).
  • Hayden Riddle led the squad with 12 assists, while Olivia Smith handed out seven.
  • Defensively, Isabella Smith had a team-best eight digs, while Rios had six digs and O. Smith recorded four.
  • Franki Kelleher led the team with three blocks.
 
No. 2 D'Youville – 3 | No. 3 Daemen – 0 (25-18, 25-14, 33-31)
Judge Athletic Center | Dobbs Ferry, NY
Box Score
 
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – No. 2 D'Youville (16-13, 8-4 ECC) swept No. 3 Daemen (16-11, 8-4 ECC) on Friday night at Judge Athletic Center in Dobbs Ferry, NY in the 2026 ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship Semifinals.
 
D’Youville flew out to leads of 10-6 and then 14-8 after a service ace from Ashley Ballou. The Saints kept their momentum, gaining their largest lead of nine points (23-14) off the back of an attack error by Daemen. Ballou would score the final kill to close out the set 25-18.
 
The second set was all D’Youville. The Saints got the action started scoring nine of 10 points to go ahead 9-1. That lead would grow to 15-4 following an attack error and then it ascended to 21-7 when Cameron Ulinski got a kill. Daemen never got within single digits, dropping the set 25-14.
 
Once again, D’Youville took the early lead (3-0), but Daemen rallied back with a 6-1 run, which started and ended with kills by Mina Faw, to go up 6-4. After the Saints regained the lead, the teams went back and forth, tying for times until it was 20-20. The Wildcats managed to get to set point, after another kill from M. Faw, leading 24-21. D’Youville answered the call, scoring three straight, behind kills from Ulinski and Madeline O'Brien to force deuce. In extras, the teams exchanged points to 31 all. An attack error by Daemen gave D’Youville match point, and an ace from Ballou would close out the match for the Saints.
 
D’Youville makes the ECC Women’s Volleyball Championship Final for the second time in program history.
 
D'Youville Notes
  • Ulinski led the Saints with a double-double, finishing with 14 kills and 13 digs.
  • She also recorded three aces in the win.
  • O’Brien was second on the team with 13 kills.
  • Ballou paced the attack with 32 assists and had three service aces.
  • Leading the team in digs was Angelyn Jaramillo (15).
  • Maddie Boglev had a team-high five blocks.
  • Gabrielle Dials added seven digs and four blocks.
  • D’Youville is back in the Championship Final for the second time over the past three years and seeking the program’s second crown with its only title coming in 2024.
 
Daemen Notes
  • M. Faw led the Wildcats with seven kills.
  • Avery Craig and Payton Gaylor recorded five kills apiece.
  • Molly Ryan (9) and Peyton Lowere (8) were the team leaders in assists.
  • Craig and Audrey Johnson had seven digs each.
 
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).

The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
 
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.