Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College volleyball team wrapped up their two-match set against conference rival Mercyhurst University at home at Ted Grant Court on Saturday afternoon. The Lakers downed the 'Phins in four sets, 19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22, as Le Moyne now sits 4-22 overall and 3-11 in NEC play this season.
Prior to the start of the match, seniors middle hitter Nil Ezgi Tasdelen (Izmir, Turkey/Ugur Okullari) and setter/DS Haley Gerken (Buffalo, N.Y. / Frontier) were honored as the team celebrated Senior Day.
Set one kicked off back-and-forth with the two teams tying the score seven different times before the Dolphins jumped ahead, 19-14, due to two kills apiece from freshman middle hitter Eiley Schneider (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) and sophomore outside hitter Nina Salas (Austin, T.X. / McNeil). Another late kill and pair of service aces from Salas closed out the set with Le Moyne taking it, 25-19.
The 'Phins jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in set two and extended their lead to four points, 12-8, following a kill by junior opposite hitter Branwyn Lupton (Napanee, O.N. / Napanee District Secondary School). Seven straight points from Mercyhurst put them ahead, however, and they were able to hang on and come away with a 25-18 set win to tie-up the match.
The third set began neck-and-neck with the Dolphins holding a two-point deficit, 12-10, following two sets of back-to-back kills from Lupton and sophomore outside hitter Denali Louden (Murrieta, C.A. / Murrieta Mesa). Le Moyne came back to tie the set with five straight points at the 22-22 mark but a late run by the Lakers sealed the frame in their favor, 25-22. Lupton registered nine of her kills in the third set alone.
Mercyhurst grabbed an early 7-3 advantage in the final set before Le Moyne's squad tallied four consecutive points to tie it at 7-7 behind kills from Louden and Schneider. The Dolphins secured 11 of 14 points at the midway point of the set to take a 21-20 lead, but it wasn't enough to fend off the Lakers who came away with a 25-22 set win to finish out the match.
Lupton led the match with 18 kills as Louden added another 10 against the Lakers to finish in the double-digits, as well. sophomore setter Skylar Jehlen (Rochester, N.Y. / Churchville Chili) put up a team-high 19 assists, just one ahead of Gerken (18). Salas registered a team-best four service aces to round out the offense.
On the defensive end, sophomore libero/DS Brooke Menke (St. Louis, M.O. / Visitation Academy) led the Dolphins with 14 digs. Schneider and Tasdelen tied with one block solo apiece as the latter also added a team-high five block assists against Mercyhurst.
For the Lakers, Julia Shepherd and Kaitlin Murphy tied to lead the squad with 12 kills apiece as Andrea Zaric added another 11. Alia Mastromatteo (26) and Alyssa Krause (20) led all players in assists as Sydney Forcht added a match-leading six service aces. Defensively, Kelsie Gatier-Davis tallied 10 digs while Zaric registered the team's lone block solo and Murphy put up three block assists to lead in the team's win.
What's Next:
The Dolphins will head to Loretto, Pa. to take on Saint Francis for a pair of matches to close out the regular season next weekend, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15.
