Links: Box Score (Match 1)
BROOKLINE, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program won its first-ever set against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent on Saturday night, when the Warriors prevailed in their third frame against Boston College from Power Gym. While the host Eagles won the match in four sets, Merrimack posted one of its top performances in recent memory against the Power Five program.
Merrimack set a season high in kills (32), and established a new single-match high at the Division I level for hitting percentage with a .194 clip against BC. The team's eight total blocks on Saturday were also a season high and a new Division I record for Merrimack. It marked the most total blocks in a game for the program since 2017.
Junior
Brooke Leestma led the effort with her first career double-double, finishing with 10 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore
Taylor Vartanian enjoyed a strong match from the middle, totaling 10 points on six kills and four total blocks – there of which were block solos. Sophomore
Quinn Kellogg established a new career high with 15 assists.
The Basics
Score: Boston College 3,
Merrimack 1 (25-14 | 25-14 |
20-25 | 25-14)
Records: Merrimack (0-13) | Boston College (6-12)
Location: Brookline, Mass. | Power Gym
Set Breakdown:
- The first game went to the hosts, 25-14. After the Eagles grabbed a 10-2 lead, the Warriors used a 9-5 run to trim their deficit down to four. Sophomore Taylor Sawyer recorded three kills during the run. The Eagles put the Warriors away via a 5-0 burst that turned a 17-12 set into a 22-12 advantage
- Merrimack continued to battle in the second set. Vartanian grabbed the first two points of the set for the visitors, while a kill from senior Megan Larson was featured in the first seven points of the game for the Warriors. A 10-4 stretch allowed Boston College to increase its lead to 12, 24-12, and the Eagles won the game on their third match point to take a 2-0 edge in the match
- One of the Warriors' best sets of the season played out in the third frame. Merrimack hit .310 as a team in the set, defeating the Eagles by five (25-20) to force a fourth game. Two kills by Sawyer and a block for Vartanian were part of a 3-0 burst that left Merrimack with an 8-4 lead. Senior Karina Anderson scored an ace during a 5-2 spurt later in the set that allowed Merrimack to maintain a 16-12 lead. After BC scored three straight, another 5-2 run brought the Warriors' advantage up to 21-17, and Leestma put the bow on the set win with two kills and a block assist during the team's final three points. The Warriors did not trail in the set
- Junior Natasha Vallis hit a kill that gave Merrimack a one-point lead (6-5) early in the fourth set. BC grabbed momentum later on, winning six straight points to turn a two-point set into an eight-point lead, 17-9. Merrimack answered by winning three straight points and four of five overall, but the Eagles ended the night on a 6-1 run to win the set, 25-14
Notes & Notables
- Merrimack set season bests in kills (32), assists (29) and total blocks (8)
- Leestma led Merrimack in kills (10), attacks (36) and digs (12); she tied her single-match career best in kills. The junior outside hitter hit at a team-best .194 clip
- Vartanian enjoyed a career match – setting career highs in points (10.0), kills (6) and total blocks (4.0)
- Kellogg's 15 helpers equaled the most any Warriors has had in a match this year. She also tied her career best with nine digs
- Sawyer finished the night with seven kills and only two errors for a .192 hitting percentage
- Sophomore libero Taelyr Czech contributed 10 digs. Larson added nine of her own
