Mercer University
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North Fla.
Volleyball Outlasts North Florida
10/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior Jennifer Katona and freshman Molly Locke each had 16-kill performances in the Mercer volleyball team's thrilling 3-2 (25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 25-12) victory over North Florida on Friday evening at UNF Arena.
Mercer's win snapped a three-match slide and sent the Bears to 7-9 (3-3 A-Sun). UNF's loss marked its first defeat at home this season and dipped the Ospreys to 10-8 (2-4 A-Sun).
Katona's highest kill output of the season came on 40 attempts with only three errors, equating to a .325 hitting percentage. She also added five digs and five total blocks in the victory.
Locke's 16 kills came in conjunction with 17 kills as the College Grove, Tennessee booked her team-leading eighth double-double of the season. Her stat line also featured five total blocks and a pair of aces.
As a team, Mercer out-hit UNF .199-.176, based largely on a stellar back-line effort from the Bears. All told, five Mercer players registered double-digit dig totals, led by junior libero Emily Rochefort's 30-dig output.
After capturing a first-set victory, the Bears dropped the next two frames to UNF and found themselves facing defeat in the fourth stanza. The turning point of the fourth set came when the Bears ripped off four consecutive points to break away from a 12-12 tie.
In the fifth set, UNF jumped all over the Bears and raced out to a 7-2 lead. On the next point, a UNF service error cued the start of a 10-5 Mercer run that knotted the set at 12 apiece. Junior Caroline Carlton put Mercer ahead with a kill on the next point, setting up back-to-back kills by Katona to end the match.
Carlton ended the night with 11 kills and six total blocks. Senior Charlayna Braxton led all players with seven total blocks and a team-leading .357 hitting percentage. Her final stat line reflected six kills with a single error on 14 attempts.
Mercer returns to the court on Saturday at Jacksonville. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m.
