Syracuse, N.Y.  – The Le Moyne College volleyball team hosted Mercyhurst in an NEC matchup at Ted Grant Court on Friday evening. The Dolphins fell in three sets, 18-25, 24-26, 15-25, against the Lakers and now sit 4-21 overall with a 3-10 mark in conference action this season.  

Mercyhurst came out to a 3-0 lead in set one and extended it to 8-4 before a pair of kills by both junior opposite hitter Branwyn Lupton (Napanee, O.N. / Napanee District Secondary School) and sophomore outside hitter Nina Salas (Austin, T.X. / McNeil) along with a service ace from senior setter/DS Haley Gerken (Buffalo, N.Y. / Frontier) brought the 'Phins back within two points, 13-11. A service ace from sophomore setter Skylar Jehlen (Rochester, N.Y. / Churchville Chili) and kill by sophomore outside hitter Denali Louden (Murrieta, C.A. / Murrieta Mesa) kept Le Moyne within two points later in the set before Mercyhurst went on a four-point streak and took the frame, 25-18.

In set two, the Lakers came out to a quick 7-3 lead before Le Moyne jumped out on top, 10-9, after scoring six of seven points. Despite tying the match at 19-19 and later 24-24 behind back-to-back service aces from sophomore outside hitter Jazmin Rodriguez (Madera, C.A. / Madera), the Dolphins gave up the final two points of the set, and fell 24-26. 

The final set began with an 8-4 lead by Mercyhurst which eventually stretched to double-digits, 19-9, after the visiting squad put together eight consecutive points. Four consecutive kills by Lupton down the stretch weren't enough for Le Moyne as they fell, 15-25 in the third set. 

Lupton posted a match-high 10 kills while Salas followed behind with seven kills from the Dolphins. Gerken also led the match with 20 assists while Jehlen added another 10 for the Dolphins. Gerken and Rodriguez tied with a team-high two service aces apiece against the Lakers. 

On the defensive end, sophomore libero/DS Brooke Menke (St. Louis, M.O. / Visitation Academy) led with a match-high 11 digs as Jehlen and Salas each added another 10 to finish in double-digits, as well. Rodriguez, senior middle hitter Nil Ezgi Tasdelen (Izmir, Turkey / Ugur Okullari), freshman middle hitter Eiley Schneider (Ramsey, N.J. / Ramsey), and sophomore outside hitter Payton Horan (Miller Place, N.Y. / Miller Place) each recorded one block assist in the match.

For Mercyhurst, Julia Shepherd led in kills with nine while Kaitlin Murphy and Payton Melin each added seven in the win. Alia Mastromatteo and Alyssa Krause tied for the team-lead in assists with 16 apiece while Krause rounded out the offense with three service aces. Defensively, Krause led with nine digs while Andrea Zaric tallied one block solo and Murphy contributed four block assists. 

What's Next:
The Dolphins will host Senior Day as they celebrate both Gerken and Tasdelen against the Lakers, tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.