Tuesday, October 18
Macon, Ga.
6 PM
Mercer University
12-8, 4-4SoCon
3
vs
1
The Citadel
8-16, 1-7SoCon
1
2
3
4
F
The Citadel
26
15
23
23
1
Mercer
24
25
25
25
3
Team Stats
CIT
MER
Kills
55
52
Errors
23
12
Attempts
152
132
Hitting %
.211
.303
Points
71.0
73.0
Assists
54
50
Aces
9
11
Blocks
7.0
10.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
3
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOpp.
/ VolleyballOpp.
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Evan Davies
Mercer Hangs On, Defeats The Citadel 3-1
10/18/2016 9:22:00 PM | Volleyball
MACON, Ga. – It was not Mercer's cleanest performance of the season, but the Bears fed off of an electric atmosphere at Hawkins Arena on Tuesday evening to defeat The Citadel, 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23), for their second straight Southern Conference volleyball win.
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Mercer (12-8, 4-4 SoCon) got back to .500 in league play with its sixth win of the season at home and finished with a .308 hitting percentage against the Bulldogs (8-16, 1-7), who were coming off of their first SoCon win since 2011. Four Bears finished with double-digit kills in the match while two players – Claire Waliczek and Ellie James – recorded double-doubles as Mercer improved to 6-1 at Hawkins Arena this season.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (24-26) | Although Mercer opened the match with an impressive .302 hitting percentage in the first set, The Citadel won the frame, 26-24, and looked as if it was prepared to take a second straight SoCon victim. The Bears led late, 22-19, but a push by the Bulldogs over the final eight points that included three aces was enough to complete the rally.
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Set 2 (25-15) | Mercer responded well in the second set and held The Citadel to a match-worst .091 hitting percentage. Hannah Noon, Morgan MacGilvary and Emily Krogman all recorded aces in the set while three kills apiece from Ellie James and Heather Swann were enough to lead the way in the equalizing frame. The lopsided win was keyed by a 9-2 run in the middle of the frame that put Mercer up 21-13.
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Set 3 (25-23) | Behind nine total kills from MacGilvary and Swann, Mercer swatted an impressive .412 hitting percentage with only two attack errors to take control of the match.
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With Mercer trailing 23-22 late in the third frame after exchanging blows, it was none other than Paige Alsten who recorded a solo block on SoCon kills leader Moriah Smith before notching a kill in the following point to give the Bears a 24-23 lead. The Citadel would commit an attack error on the next point, sealing the pivotal set for Mercer.
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Set 4 (25-23) | Mercer used a seven-point run following a 7-7 tie to separate itself from The Citadel in the fourth and final set before hanging on late for the match victory. James' kill gave Mercer a 24-16 advantage, but the Bulldogs made things interesting with seven consecutive points before James came back with the finishing blow.
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PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Morgan MacGilvary proved once again to be one of Mercer's most versatile players, leading the team with 12 kills and three aces while adding a pair of blocks and three digs.
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In the Bears' biggest offensive sets – the first and the third – MacGilvary was a focal point, totaling five kills in both frames on an identical hitting percentage of .571. Both of the junior's blocks were solos, including a crowd-rocking one in the fourth set that forced a timeout by The Citadel and gave Mercer a 12-7 advantage. Â
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KEY MOMENT
After missing Mercer's first seven SoCon matches due to a lower leg injury, sophomore middle blocker Paige Alsten made a triumphant return to the court when she checked in during the second set. Sensing the importance of the moment, the crowd at Hawkins Arena gave Alsten a standing ovation.
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Alsten – who was leading all conference players in total blocks and hitting percentage before suffering the injury – ended up making two of the biggest plays of the match in the third set to vault Mercer to a victory in the frame.
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COACH ELDER'S TAKE
On coming away with a 3-1 victory over The Citadel:
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"The Citadel was coming off of their first SoCon win in forever, so they had nothing to fear and that's a tough kind of team to play against," said Mercer head coach Damian Elder. "They've got a great outside hitter and opposite hitter and they battled with us. I thought we did a lot of things really well, except for the final points in each set."
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On Mercer wearing its "Dig Pink" jerseys in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:
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"Tonight was our "Dig Pink" match. We try to do something like this each year to raise awareness for breast cancer. There's a lot of volleyball teams in the country that do it…we're just happy to do our part. It was a great crowd here."
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On Paige Alsten's return and the crowd's reaction:
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"That was cool. I was hoping for that reaction, knowing that we were going to put [Alsten] in. I didn't expect her to do anything and she ended up saving set No. 3 with a block. I'm looking forward to having her back on the court. Both of our [other] middles [Gabbi Meyering and Maria Avramova] have been doing great, but Paige is clearly one of the best players in the conference – it was nice to have her back."
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NOTABLES
Mercer faces a difficult test in conference-leading ETSU (14-6, 6-2 SoCon) on Friday, Oct. 21 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The match will be played at 6 p.m. The Buccaneers are the only SoCon foe Mercer has yet to play this season.
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FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Mercer (12-8, 4-4 SoCon) got back to .500 in league play with its sixth win of the season at home and finished with a .308 hitting percentage against the Bulldogs (8-16, 1-7), who were coming off of their first SoCon win since 2011. Four Bears finished with double-digit kills in the match while two players – Claire Waliczek and Ellie James – recorded double-doubles as Mercer improved to 6-1 at Hawkins Arena this season.
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (24-26) | Although Mercer opened the match with an impressive .302 hitting percentage in the first set, The Citadel won the frame, 26-24, and looked as if it was prepared to take a second straight SoCon victim. The Bears led late, 22-19, but a push by the Bulldogs over the final eight points that included three aces was enough to complete the rally.
Â
Set 2 (25-15) | Mercer responded well in the second set and held The Citadel to a match-worst .091 hitting percentage. Hannah Noon, Morgan MacGilvary and Emily Krogman all recorded aces in the set while three kills apiece from Ellie James and Heather Swann were enough to lead the way in the equalizing frame. The lopsided win was keyed by a 9-2 run in the middle of the frame that put Mercer up 21-13.
Â
Set 3 (25-23) | Behind nine total kills from MacGilvary and Swann, Mercer swatted an impressive .412 hitting percentage with only two attack errors to take control of the match.
Â
With Mercer trailing 23-22 late in the third frame after exchanging blows, it was none other than Paige Alsten who recorded a solo block on SoCon kills leader Moriah Smith before notching a kill in the following point to give the Bears a 24-23 lead. The Citadel would commit an attack error on the next point, sealing the pivotal set for Mercer.
Â
Set 4 (25-23) | Mercer used a seven-point run following a 7-7 tie to separate itself from The Citadel in the fourth and final set before hanging on late for the match victory. James' kill gave Mercer a 24-16 advantage, but the Bulldogs made things interesting with seven consecutive points before James came back with the finishing blow.
Â
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Morgan MacGilvary proved once again to be one of Mercer's most versatile players, leading the team with 12 kills and three aces while adding a pair of blocks and three digs.
Â
In the Bears' biggest offensive sets – the first and the third – MacGilvary was a focal point, totaling five kills in both frames on an identical hitting percentage of .571. Both of the junior's blocks were solos, including a crowd-rocking one in the fourth set that forced a timeout by The Citadel and gave Mercer a 12-7 advantage. Â
Â
KEY MOMENT
After missing Mercer's first seven SoCon matches due to a lower leg injury, sophomore middle blocker Paige Alsten made a triumphant return to the court when she checked in during the second set. Sensing the importance of the moment, the crowd at Hawkins Arena gave Alsten a standing ovation.
Â
Alsten – who was leading all conference players in total blocks and hitting percentage before suffering the injury – ended up making two of the biggest plays of the match in the third set to vault Mercer to a victory in the frame.
Â
COACH ELDER'S TAKE
On coming away with a 3-1 victory over The Citadel:
Â
"The Citadel was coming off of their first SoCon win in forever, so they had nothing to fear and that's a tough kind of team to play against," said Mercer head coach Damian Elder. "They've got a great outside hitter and opposite hitter and they battled with us. I thought we did a lot of things really well, except for the final points in each set."
Â
On Mercer wearing its "Dig Pink" jerseys in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:
Â
"Tonight was our "Dig Pink" match. We try to do something like this each year to raise awareness for breast cancer. There's a lot of volleyball teams in the country that do it…we're just happy to do our part. It was a great crowd here."
Â
On Paige Alsten's return and the crowd's reaction:
Â
"That was cool. I was hoping for that reaction, knowing that we were going to put [Alsten] in. I didn't expect her to do anything and she ended up saving set No. 3 with a block. I'm looking forward to having her back on the court. Both of our [other] middles [Gabbi Meyering and Maria Avramova] have been doing great, but Paige is clearly one of the best players in the conference – it was nice to have her back."
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NOTABLES
- Mercer improved to 6-1 at Hawkins Arena this season. The Bears are also 10-5 in their last 15 matches played on home court.
- Mercer is 7-0 all-time against The Citadel.
- Tuesday's win marks the second time Elder has led Mercer to 12 victories in a season.
- Mercer outgained The Citadel in service aces (11-9), digs (62-59) and total blocks (10-7).
- The Bears finished with a hitting percentage of .303, marking the fourth time they've hit above .300 in a match this season.
- Four Bears reached double-digit kills – MacGilvary (12), Krogman (11), James (11) and Swann (11).
- Tori Penrod had 17 digs to continue her streak of double-digit digs in every match this season.
- MacGilvary reached 12 kills for a 12th straight match.
- Waliczek notched her team-best eighth double-double with a team-high 24 assists and 10 digs. James' 13 digs and 11 kills marked her first double-double of the year.
- Freshman Olivia Nation made her second appearance of the season in the fourth set. She recorded one dig.
- Mercer: 12-8 (4-4 SoCon)
- The Citadel: 8-16 (1-7 SoCon)
Mercer faces a difficult test in conference-leading ETSU (14-6, 6-2 SoCon) on Friday, Oct. 21 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The match will be played at 6 p.m. The Buccaneers are the only SoCon foe Mercer has yet to play this season.
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FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Volleyball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBearsVB (Twitter), and @mercervolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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