Links: Box Score (Wilmington) |
Box Score (Holy Family)
WILMINGTON, Del. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program dropped a pair of regional decisions on Friday to begin the Wildcat Invitational hosted at the WU Athletics Complex at Wilmington University. The Warriors fell to the host Wildcats and Holy Family in three-set tilts, and will return to complete the tournament tomorrow with matches against Chestnut Hill (10 a.m.) and Jefferson (2 p.m.)
The Basics
Score (Wilmington): Wilmington 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-13 | 25-20 | 25-21)
Score (Holy Family): Holy Family 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-17 | 25-18 | 25-19)
Records: Merrimack (2-5) | Wilmington (4-6) | Holy Family (5-4)
Location: WU Athletics Complex | Wilmington, Del.
Set Breakdown (Wilmington)
- With Merrimack ahead 5-4, Wilmington broke the first set open with an 11-1 run that turned the tides in favor of the hosts. The Warriors would get as close as six points, but the Wildcats recorded seven of the final eight points to claim the set, 25-13
- Neither team led by more than five points in the middle frame when Merrimack used a 3-0 spurt to pull within two, 19-17. Seniors Sofia Basauri and Katelynn Marr each notched kills while junior Rosie Sperduto posted a service ace. The hosts answered with three straight points of their own however, outlasting Merrimack, 25-20
- Trailing 9-3 early on, Merrimack recovered to cut its deficit to three, 14-11, behind consecutive kills for freshman Natasha Vallis. Later in the set and facing a 16-12 hole, the Warriors used a 7-1 run to pull ahead, 19-17. Junior Catherine Flaherty posted two kill, and freshman Sophie Meyers and Sperduto recorded one block and one kill, each. The Wildcats rallied, however, ending the match on an 8-2 run to end the contest in three frames
Set Breakdown (Holy Family)
- Merrimack sat within striking distance of the Tigers, 13-10, at the midway point of the set. Holy Family embarked on an 8-1 stretch from there that proved to be insurmountable for Merrimack. The Tigers won the first game, 25-17
- Capped by kills for Flaherty and freshman Brooke Leestma, Merrimack used a 4-0 run in the second set to pull within two points (13-11). A 5-1 Holy Family run prompted a Warriors timeout facing a 21-14 deficit, but the teams traded points out of it, resulting in a 25-18 victory for the Tigers
- Despite a 16-9 advantage for the Tigers, the Warriors made it a 23-19 game late in the frame following kills for Basauri and Marr. Holy Family ended the match there, however, claiming the final two points for a 25-19 win
Top Performers
- Flaherty enjoyed a superb hitting day against the Wildcats, finishing with a season-high 13 kills that led all players. She attempted 44 attacks with only four errors for a .205 hitting percentage
- Sperduto posted her third double-double of the year with team highs in assists (28) and digs (14). The third-year setter flirted with a triple-double in the nightcap, totaling 20 kills, eight digs and seven kills
- Senior Amanda Cain tied Sperduto for the team lead with 22 combined digs on the day
Up Next
Merrimack hits the court beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow against Chestnut Hill followed by a 2 p.m. contest against Jefferson to conclude the tournament.
