Links: Box Score (Match 1) |
Box Score (Match 2)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball team played its first two home matches of its spring season on Friday when the Warriors hosted Fairleigh Dickinson for a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at Hammel Court. Merrimack won its first set of NEC play to start the second match against the Knights, but the visitors prevailed in both matches overall.
Sophomore libero
Taelyr Czech enjoyed her best two matches of the season, posting her season best with 19 digs in both matches. Junior
Brooke Leestma led the offense in the first contest, finishing with 10 kills. Sophomore
Taylor Sawyer came on strong in the second game, totaling a team-best 11 kills. Sophomore
Quinn Kellogg totaled 21 combined assists over the two matches while freshman
Ashley Gajdzik led the way in the second contest with 15 helpers.
The Basics
Score (Match 1): Fairleigh Dickinson 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-18 | 25-22 | 25-20)
Score (Match 2): Fairleigh Dickinson 3,
Merrimack 1 (25-23 | 9-25 | 12-25 | 16-25)
Records: Merrimack (0-8, 0-6 NEC) | Fairleigh Dickinson (3-3, 2-2 NEC)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
Set Breakdown (Match 1):
- With the set tied at five-all, FDU scored four straight points to build a 9-5 lead. Trailing 24-14 and facing match point, the Warriors staved off the Knights' first four changes to win the opener. Senior Megan Larson started the run with a kill while sophomore Taylor Vartanian ended it with a point of her own. A service error ended the burst, however, giving the visitors a 25-18 win
- Five different players recorded kills as part of an 11-8 start to the second set for the Warriors. Later on, Leestma recorded a kill to keep the game tied at 18-18, but the Knights won four straight points after that to lead, 22-18. With their deficit still at four, Merrimack won three straight points capped by a block by junior Sophie Meyers and sophomore Maegan Hladick to make it a one-point game, 23-22. FDU won the last two points, however, to take a 2-0 lead
- Merrimack jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the third match. Kellogg and Leestma notched service aces during the run. With Merrimack in front, 12-7, the visitors used a 6-1 stretch to tie the frame up at 13 points apiece. The Warriors sat within one point, 18-17, after a Hladick kill, but the Knights won seven of the set's final 10 points to claim the match, 25-20
Set Breakdown (Match 2):
- A 4-0 burst that featured two points from Leestma and a kill for Sawyer left the hosts with a 10-8 lead in the first set. The Warriors led, 16-15, only to see the Knights win five straight points to grab a four-point lead. Merrimack fought right back with a 5-0 burst of its own, grabbing momentum and owning a 21-20 edge. FDU crept ahead, 23-22, but the Warriors delivered the last blow with a 3-0 run to close the set. Sawyer starred in the set's final moments, earning the final three kills of the frame to give Merrimack the win (25-23)
- The Knights held leads of 7-1 and 10-3 in the early moments of the second set. The Knights kept that rhythm throughout, controlling the set to tie the match at 1-1
- Facing another 10-3 deficit in the third, Merrimack cut that margin in half via a 3-0 run. Sawyer delivered another kill to end the run. Senior Karina Anderson's ace kept Merrimack within six, 15-9, and was part of a 5-1 Warriors run that ended with the score at 16-12 in FDU's favor. The Knights won the last nine points of the set, however, to grab a 2-1 lead in the match
- A 6-0 run for FDU turned a 4-2 Merrimack lead into an 8-4 advantage for the Knights in the fourth set. The Warriors responded by winning six of the next eight points, leaving the frame deadlocked at 10 points apiece. Another ace for Anderson helped keep Merrimack within striking distance at 15-13, but the visitors ended the night on a 10-3 to win the match
Notes & Notables
- Czech enjoyed a superb defensive showing, more than doubling her dig total on the season after the two matches. The 19 digs in each contest are tied for the second most of her two-year career
- The Warriors were strong on the block, combing for 11 total rejections in the two matches. Meyers led the effort in the middle with six block assists on the day
- Leestma nearly notched a double-double in the first match, finishing with 10 kills and nine digs. Her kills total and 39 attacks were both season highs
- Sawyer posted a season high 11 kills and career-high 42 attacks in the second match. Her previous career high in attacks also came against FDU
- Both Gajdzik and Kellogg finished with 21 assists on the day; the former's 15 in the second match established a new career high
Up Next:
Merrimack is back in action on Tuesday, March 23, when the Warriors host St. Francis Brooklyn for two matches beginning at 4 p.m.
