Mercer University
10-5 (2-1SoCon)
UNCG
6-9 (1-2SoCon)
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Mercer Nips UNCG in Five-Set SoCon Victory
9/30/2016 9:54:00 PM | Volleyball
MACON, Ga. – The saying, "home sweet home" had a special ring to it once again for Mercer on Friday night at Hawkins Arena. For the fourth time in as many matches on their home court this season, the Bears walked away victorious, defeating UNCG, 3-2 (21-25, 25-18, 26-24, 18-25, 15-12), in a five-set marathon of a Southern Conference match.
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The Bears (10-5, 2-1 SoCon) recorded 12 service aces, including multiple aces from four different players, to down a stout UNCG (6-9, 1-2) team that had defeated them in their last four meetings.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Although the Bears would pull off the 3-2 match win, their play in the opening set didn't prove to be indicative of it. Mercer dropped the opener 25-21 and failed to find rhythm while totaling seven errors and hitting .143. On the other side of the spectrum, the Spartans were scorching early, hitting .500 with 15 kills and only a pair of errors.
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Mercer's turn-around started in the second set, which included a much-improved hitting percentage of .321 to eventually claim a 25-18 equalizer. The Bears would go on to take a 2-1 lead with a back-and-forth 26-24 victory in the third set. Nine of Mercer's 12 aces came during the two sets, helping complement the strong offensive play of Ellie James, Heather Swann, Morgan MacGilvary and Emily Krogman. Trailing 21-16 in the third, Mercer outscored UNCG 8-3 down the stretch behind a pair of finishing blows by MacGilvary and an ace by Tori Penrod that sparked the final push.
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UNCG looked primed to steal the five-set road match following a dominant 25-18 win in the fourth set – Mercer hit a brutal .031 with eight errors – but the Bears fed off of their home crowd to take the clinching 15-12 victory in the final set. Mercer hit .474 in the fifth and committed only one error.
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PLAYER OF THE MATCH
From the opening set, Morgan MacGilvary proved she wouldn't be stopped Friday night. The junior, who recorded her 500th career kill on her first strike of the night, finished with match-high 19 kills while hitting .421. But it was more than kills for MacGilvary, as she submitted a well-rounded performance that also included seven digs, four blocks and four aces to lead Mercer.
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COACH ELDER'S TAKE
On the atmosphere at Hawkins Arena:
"Once again in a five-set match, our home crowd made the difference in this win. Despite losing the fourth set, we gained a little momentum to get the crowd reenergized toward the end and that was big for the fifth set. We knew we were going to win the fifth set once the crowd got back into it."
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On what impressed him the most from his team's play:
"It was great to see Ellie James back on the court and doing well after a bit of an absence following an injury. This felt like a break-out match for her, and I hope to see it continue."
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NOTABLES
- Mercer snapped a four-match skid to the Spartans on Friday and improved its all-time record to 2-5 against UNCG. It's Mercer's first win against UNCG since joining the SoCon.
- Despite playing 14 less matches, the Bears have matched their 2015 season wins total of 10 already.
- Mercer improved to 4-0 at Hawkins Arena this season and is now 12-3 in its past 15 matches at home.
- Mercer's nine wins in the month of September are the most wins for the program in a single month over the past decade.
- Junior outside hitter Morgan MacGilvary recorded her 500th career kill in the opening set.
- Senior libero/defensive specialist Tori Penrod passed the career mark of 1,500 digs en route to 21 digs on the evening. She currently ranks fourth all-time in total digs in the Mercer record books.
- The Bears' setters, Hannah Noon and Claire Waliczek, recorded 24 assists apiece. Noon has reached at least 20 assists in seven straight matches.
- Ellie James pitched in a nine-kill, 14-dig performance to just narrowly miss a double-double. It was the most she's played since suffering an injury three weeks ago, and she appeared to be ready for it.
- Mercer: 10-5 (2-1 SoCon)
- UNCG: 6-9 (1-2 SoCon)
UP NEXT
Mercer hosts SoCon foe Chattanooga (8-7, 1-1 SoCon) on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Hawkins Arena. The Mocs defeated intrastate and SoCon foe ETSU, 3-1, on Friday for their first league victory.
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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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