DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — The Daemen University women's volleyball fell at Mercy, 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 24-26, 25-23, 9-15) on Sunday afternoon at Neil Judge Student Athlete Center. The Wildcats pushed the match to a fifth set with a 25-23 win in the fourth, but Mercy took the deciding set 15-9 in a battle of two of the top teams in the East Coast Conference. The Mavericks' win snapped Daemen's three match win streak and moves the Wildcats to 8-7 on the year and 1-1 in ECC play while Mercy improves to 12-1 overall and 3-0 in conference action.
Senior setter
Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.) served the Wildcats to a 5-0 start in the opening set, with Amelia Gonzalez (Juana Diaz, P.R.) and
Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.) combining on a block, Schamaun adding two aces and
Audrey Johnson (Mequon, Wisc.) putting down a kill. Mercy worked back to 6-4, but the Wildcats rebuilt the margin to 10-4 on consecutive Gaylor kills and a Gonzalez ace. After Mercy got within 10-6, the Wildcats kept separation with kills from
Mina Faw (Williamsburg, Va.), Gonzalez and Johnson going up for a block and another Gonzalez ace before a Schamaun kill made it 20-12. The Wildcats reached set point at 24-16 on a kill from
Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) kill and service ace, and although Mercy scored the next five points, a service error closed the set for the Wildcats, 25-21.
Mercy took a 4-3 lead early and went on a run to move ahead 12-4. The Wildcats chipped away in stretches, using a kill by
Jolie Faw (Williamsburg, Va.) and two Mercy attack errors then adding a Craig ace and a Johnson kill to make it 19-14. Mercy stayed in front and reached 23-17 before the Wildcats made one late push with a Gaylor kill and two Mercy attack errors to get within 23-20. The Mavericks tied the match up taking the second set 25-21.
After a 6-1 Mercy lead, Daemen responded with a block from
Jolie Faw/Craig and a Gaylor kill to get back within two, 6-4. The Mavericks stretched the margin to 12-6, but the Wildcats worked back through kills by
Mina Faw and Johnson, a Johnson ace and multiple blocks before a Schamaun/
Jolie Faw block tied the set at 17-17. After Mercy went back in front, 19-17, Daemen moved ahead 20-19 then took a 22-20 lead on Johnson's kill after the teams traded points. Mercy tied the set at 22-22, and after the Wildcats reached 24-23 on a Mercy attack error, the Mavericks took the final three points to win the set 26-24.
Daemen led the fourth early, 8-4, and stretched the lead to 13-6 behind a kill from Gaylor kill and two Mercy errors, but the Mavs worked back and later tied the set at 19-19. Johnson answered with a kill,
Mollie Berry (Evergreen Park, Ill.) followed with an ace and Johnson added another kill to put the Wildcats in front 22-19. Johnson's final kill gave the Wildcats set point at 24-21, and after Mercy pulled within 24-23, the Wildcats took the set 25-23 to send the match to a pivotal fifth set.
Craig helped the Wildcats erase an early 3-1 deficit with consecutive kills, tying the fifth set at three. After Mercy went back in front 6-4, Craig's kill from Gaylor and two Johnson kills from Schamaun gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead. Mercy regained the lead at 8-7 on a kill and a service ace, and after a Maverick service error tied the set at 8-8, the home team scored six straight behind two kills and two block assists. Johnson ended the run with a kill before ECC Preseason Player of the Year Grace Dilena put down the final point for Mercy in a 15-9 victory.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Johnson, the three-time ECC Rookie of the Week, notched her fifth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 12 digs, adding one ace and one block assist for a team-high 15.5 points.
- Schamaun finished with 24 assists, 10 digs, four kills, and two aces, marking her fifth double-double of the year.
- It was a well-rounded afternoon for Craig, who totaled nine kills, seven digs, two aces and two blocks.
- Gaylor tallied eight kills, eight digs and two blocks in the loss.
- Jolie Faw posted a team-high four blocks and added three kills.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are back in action at Lumsden Gymnasium on Wednesday, Oct. 8 as they host longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan at 6:30 PM.
