Pickert, Murray Lead Volleyball to 3-2 Victory over Saint Rose
NORTH ANDOVER, MA – The Merrimack volleyball team built a
2-0 lead over Saint Rose Friday night before being forced to the
final set and emerging with the 3-2 thrilling victory in conference
action at the Volpe Gym.
Game scores were 25-22, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-8.
Merrimack never trailed in the final set, building a 6-3 lead
after two kills from Jenna Reilly (Northport, NY),
just her second and third kills of the night. After the Golden
Knights cut the lead to one at 9-8, the Warriors closed it out with
six unanswered points, featuring three kills from Megan
Murray (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), including her 18th
and final kill on match point, which tied her career high set on
Tuesday.
“The chemistry and communication was the best it's
been all season,” said Joey Pacis following
the five-set thriller. “They stepped up big to believe in
themselves in the fifth set after the momentum switched to Saint
Rose. Lastly, the defense was awesome.”
The Warriors struggled offensively early, committing 10 attack
errors in each of the first three sets and hit just .079 for the
match. Fortunately, Saint Rose had its own issues offensively,
committing 12 service errors, including six in the first set.
In the second set, Merrimack used an 11-5 run, featuring numerous
unassisted kills, including one from Shaunda Forcier
(Gonic, NH) to close out the set, 25-23.
But the Golden Knights never gave up, as they pulled out a
closely-contested third set, featuring 12 tie scores and seven lead
changes. With the set tied at 21, Saint Rose rattled off four
straight points to stay alive.
Saint Rose led for the entire fourth set, building an 11-3 lead
with four service aces and forcing a decisive fifth set.
But the Warriors, facing a possible 1-3 conference record if they
lost Friday, saved their best for last, getting nine kills and
hitting .286 in the final set.
Friday's match featured the top two liberos statistically in
the conference with Alyssa Pickert (Tinley Park,
IL) matching up with Mary German, and it was Pickert who
emerged in the match as the junior tallied a game-high 44 digs,
tying her career-high, to German's 32, including numerous
sprawling, one-handed saves.
Molly Cindric (Westlake Village, CA) picked up
her sixth double-double of the year on 14 kills and 14 digs and
added a match-high five aces. Elyse Lorenz (Frankfurt,
IL) notched her fourth double-double on 40 assists and 15
digs and also had five kills offensively. Natalee Yeazle
(Blaine, MN) had a stellar game, falling one kill shy of
her first double-double on nine kills and 14 digs. Murray, who hit
.289 overall, tallied two solo blocks in the win.
Saint Rose was led by Sarah Kahrs, who notched a double-double (10
kills, 15 digs) and Chelsea Tyler, who tallied 10 kills and seven
blocks. The visitors had 13 team blocks and 47 kills overall.
Merrimack (13-4, 2-2 NE-10) returns to the court Saturday when it
hosts Le Moyne College at 5 p.m.
