Links: Box Score (Match 1) |
Box Score (Match 2)
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball team played Long Island University for a pair of matches on Friday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center down in Brooklyn, N.Y. The host Sharks prevailed in the Northeast Conference (NEC) contests by 3-0 margins. Merrimack will be back in action for its final home NEC games this upcoming Wednesday when the Warriors welcome defending conference champion Sacred Heart to Hammel Court.
The Basics
Score (Match 1): LIU 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-9 | 25-10 | 25-14)
Score (Match 2): LIU 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-9 | 25-13 | 25-15)
Records: Merrimack (0-10, 0-8 NEC) | LIU (7-4, 7-3 NEC)
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. | Steinberg Wellness Center
Set Breakdown (Match 1):
- LIU hit .448 as a team in the opening set to grab a 1-0 advantage. A 13-2 run to start the match enabled the hosts to grab control. Five different players recorded kills for Merrimack in the opener
- The Sharks then started the second set on an 8-0 spurt. Merrimack played its best towards the end of the set, winning four of the final eight points in the second game. Juniors Megan Rumenapp and Kayla Zinser each notched kills during that stretch for the Warriors
- Sophomore Taylor Sawyer and junior Sophie Meyers each posted kills as Merrimack sat within two points of LIU, 5-3, in the early portion of the third set. The hosts went on a run for there, however, holding a 21-7 advantage by the end of that run. Merrimack enjoyed its best stretch of play towards the end of the third set, using a 7-3 run to climb within 10 points of LIU at 24-14. The run featured three unanswered points at the end too, which included kills for freshman Ashley Gajdzik and sophomore Maegan Hladick
Set Breakdown (Match 2):
- Similar to the night's first match, LIU hit well to start the second match too. The Sharks hit .324 as a unit to snag a 1-0 advantage. Sawyer was Merrimack's best offensive player in the first game, finishing with a pair of kills
- The second set was another frame where Merrimack's best points came in the later stages of the set. Towards the end of the second set, the Warriors went on a 7-2 run including winning five straight points. Hladick was the star of the stretch, finishing with the last three points including a pair of aces
- Merrimack won five of eight points to trim its deficit to four, 12-8, in the third set. Hladick added two more kills during that portion of the match for the visitors. LIU answered with an 8-1 run, but the Warriors responded with a 4-1 stretch headlined by Meyers' two kills. LIU led, 21-13, following that burst. The combination of Sawyer and sophomore Taelyr Czech were able to stave off two LIU match points with a kill and ace, respectively, but the Sharks won the finale, 25-15
Notes & Notables
- Senior Megan Larson led Merrimack in the first match defensively with a career-high 12 digs
- Junior Brooke Leestma equaled her season best with 13 digs in the second match. It marked the fifth time in her career that she has had at least 10 digs in a single match
- Czech notched a team-leading 14 digs in the second match. She has double-digit dig totals in three of her last four matches
- Meyers was effective offensively in the second match, finishing with a team-high .222 hitting percentage on nine attacks
- Hladick led the team in attacks (37) and service aces (2) in the second tilt
Up Next:
The Warriors host Sacred Heart University for two matches on Wednesday. The first match is set to begin at 2 p.m., and will recognize the career of senior
Karina Anderson.
