Box score
MACON, Ga. - Mercer junior middle blocker
Libby Hansch hammered down 11 kills and posted eight total blocks as the Bears downed FGCU 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-17, 27-25) in Saturday afternoon’s Atlantic Sun volleyball match at the University Center.
Mercer has now taken victories in four-straight matches and is 10-17, 8-10 A-Sun. FGCU sees its four-match win streak snapped and falls to 15-11 (14-5 A-Sun).
This season, Mercer is 5-3 when facing a league opponent for a second time. The Bears’ victory marked the first ever defeat of FGCU in five all-time meetings with the Florida-based school.
“I’m extremely proud of the way we finished off this final home-stand of the year,” Mercer head coach
Noelle Rooke said. “FGCU is always extremely talented and this victory shows how far we’ve come this season.”
Mercer placed four players in double-digit kills as the Bears posted a .292 attack percentage in the win. For the second straight match, sophomores
Amiee Frutchey and
Rachel Urbelis both recorded double-double efforts. Frutchey contributed team-highs in both kills (13) and digs (21) while Urbelis chipped in 11 kills and added 13 digs in the win.
Mercer setters
Chelsea Gebben and
Nickie Halbert repeatedly tricked the Eagle defense, combining for 51 assists in the winning effort. Libero
Charlotte Harris notched 16 digs as the Bears back line kept five Eagle hitters under a .300 attack percentage.
In the first set, Mercer never held an advantage. In the second stanza, each team exchanged scores until the set was knotted at 12 apiece. Following the tie, Mercer employed a 7-2 run to take a five point lead. The Bears eventually won the second set, evening the set-score at 1-1.
In the third frame, Mercer stormed out of the gates with a 14-6 run, capped by three consecutive kills by Frutchey. FGCU was unable to recover as the Bears cruised to the 25-17 set win.
In the fourth set, Mercer started strong again, jumping out to a 10-2 lead. This time the Eagles responded with a 17-9 tear of their own to tie the score at 19-19. Later in the set, with the score tied 25-25, Frutchey smashed her 13th kill to give the hosts match-point. Moments later, Gebben fed junior
Krista Hurley’s ninth kill of the match, sealing the victory.
Mercer will wrap up its regular season schedule with a pair of road tests against UNF (Nov. 13) and Jacksonville (Nov. 14).