AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen University women's volleyball team fell 3-0 (21-25, 23-25, 19-25) to Mercy University in its final regular-season home match this morning. The Wildcats are now 11-13 and 7-3 in the East Coast Conference, while the Mavericks move to 16-4 and 9-1 in the conference.
It was the final regular-season home game for three Wildcats –
Mariangelys Vazquez (Bayamon, P.R.),
Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.), and
Avery Dole (Summerfield, N.C.) – who were honored for Senior Day ahead of the match.
Mercy wasted no time getting on the board in the opening set as it took a 6-1 lead. Daemen worked its way back to trail 9-4, but the Mavericks pushed its lead to 18-9. The Wildcats fought their way back to cut the lead to five, trailing 24-19. Back-to-back Daemen kills from
Payton Gaylor made it a three point difference, 24-21, for the Mavericks, but it was not enough as Mercy tallied the final point to win the set.
Both teams in the second set went back and forth to find themselves tied at seven. Mercy rattled off the next three points to break the tie and go up 10-7, and then pushed its lead to 21-13. The Wildcats strung together a 9-2 run to claw their way back into it and tie the set at 22. Both teams traded the next two points to end up tied at 23, but Mercy tallied the final two points to win 25-23 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Looking to force a third set, the Wildcats found themselves tied at three, but a 3-0 Mercy run broke the tie and made it 6-3. Daemen used a 7-4 run to tie the set at 10 and then took a 12-11 lead. Mercy put together a 13-8 run to win the set 25-19 and take the match 3-0.
Daemen's
Keira Mullen led the team in kills with nine, while teammate Malpica registered eight kills of her own. She also led the team in digs with 10.
Mullen finished with a match-high three aces out of the team's six.
Dole finished with a team-high 17 assists, and
Maddie Schamaun added 15 of her own.
Sole Rancy and Gaylor each finished with three block solos for the Wildcats.
Daemen looks to close out the regular season when it travels to Rochester on Saturday, Nov. 12 to face Roberts Wesleyan University at noon.
