DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2023) – Powered by a match-high 10 kills and seven blocks from graduate student Julia Pomerleau (Portland, Maine/University of Southern Maine), the Mercy University volleyball team earned a convincing 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-22) win over Caldwell University in front of a packed house at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center on Friday night.

The Mavericks (3-0) start 3-0 for the second straight year and defeat the Cougars (0-3) for the fourth straight time.

Pomerleau had a season-high 10 kills and seven blocks and senior Larissa Schneid (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) had seven kills and four digs. Senior Ayzaline Garay (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice) had six kills and six digs and senior Yarianne Gonzalez (Manati, Puerto Rico/Monroe College) had a match-high 24 assists with five kills and five digs. Junior Aitza Cruz (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico/Polk State College) had a match-high-tying six digs and freshman Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) and junior Anyelainy Vizcaino (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Southwestern CC) both had three kills.

Caldwell was led by Natalie Piper who had a team-high four kills.

The Cougars jumped out to a 12-7 lead in set one. Mercy answered with four straight points to cut the Caldwell lead to one, 12-11. The Cougars later held a 17-16 lead, but the Mavericks closed the set with nine straight points, capped off by an Illes-Hair kill, to take the first set 25-17.

Mercy scored the first three points of the second set to take a 3-0 lead after a Vizcaino kill. Caldwell later made it 8-5 in favor of the Mavericks, but Mercy would end the set on a 17-2 run to take the second set, 25-7.

Caldwell held an 11-10 lead in set three before the Mavericks netted three straight points, finished off by a Garay kill, to take a 13-11 lead. The Cougars scored two straight points to tie the set at 13-13 before Mercy went on a 7-2 spurt to take a 20-15 lead after a Vizcaino ace. Caldwell followed with a 6-2 run to cut the Mavericks lead to 22-21. A kill from Garay and an ace from Gonzalez put Mercy up, 24-21. Caldwell made it 24-22 before Pomerleau slammed home her final kill of the night to give the Mavericks the set and the victory in straight sets.

Mercy hit .268 with 34 kills, 25 digs, 11 aces and nine blocks. Caldwell hit -.075 with 15 kills, 21 digs, six aces and five blocks.

Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, September 12th when they host Southern Connecticut State at 7 p.m.