Team Stats
WCU
MER
Kills
56
60
Errors
16
21
Attempts
152
153
Hitting %
.263
.255
Points
71.0
67.0
Assists
54
60
Aces
6
3
Blocks
9.0
4.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned

Photo by: Marvin Gentry
Alsten Records Season-High in Kills, Bears Fall 3-1
10/27/2017 9:04:00 PM | Volleyball
Macon, Ga. – Mercer dropped a 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 18-25, 23-25) match to SoCon foe Western Carolina at Hawkins Arena on Friday night, and split its season series with the Catamounts. Both teams claimed road wins against one another this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (25-23) | Set one was sparked by a kill from Paige Alsten, which set the tone for the remainder of the opening set. Mercer trailed the Catamounts until tying the match up at 13 after Alsten's sixth kill of the set. Mercer claimed the lead, eventually stretching its advantage to a set-high four points at 23-19. Alsten's ninth kill of the frame and a Catamount attack error sealed the 25-23 victory for the Bears.
Set 2 (19-25) | Neither squad was able to pull away from each other in the first 33 points of the second set, as Western Carolina held a slight 17-16 advantage. However, the Catamounts registered three unanswered points to take a four-point lead, forcing a Mercer timeout. Following the timeout, Western Carolina held momentum to finish the set on a 5-3 run.
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Set 3 (18-25) |Â Danielle Faust started set three on a high note, recording her third kill for the evening. Much like the second set, both squads went toe-to-toe in the opening 15 points with Western Carolina clinging to the 8-7 lead. The Catamounts then went on an 8-3 run to stretch their lead to 16-10. The Bears were unable to claw into the Western Carolina lead, dropping set three by the final score of 25-18.
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Set 4 (23-25) | Maddie Nunley registered a set-high 16 assists to help control the rhythm for the Bears. Mercer led the majority of the frame until the Catamounts claimed the 14-13 advantage after notching a kill. The final set proved to be a nail-biter to the end with both squads notched at 23-23. However, the Catamounts recorded the final two points of the set to claim the two-point victory.
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NOTABLES
COACH SCHROEDER'S TAKE
"A solid effort tonight from 0-0," said head coach Derek Schroeder. "I really liked the tempo of our offense; I really thought that we did the things that we do well. Western Carolina does a really good job at defending and turning a match into their style of play. We said that we were going to have to make them pay and we're going to have to out-dig them, which we did. However we just didn't quite transition enough balls out of those defensive opportunities and we just couldn't get our offense clicking in transition."
RECORD UPDATE
UP NEXT
Mercer will finish out its weekend by hosting UNCG on Saturday Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. at Hawkins Arena.
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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HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (25-23) | Set one was sparked by a kill from Paige Alsten, which set the tone for the remainder of the opening set. Mercer trailed the Catamounts until tying the match up at 13 after Alsten's sixth kill of the set. Mercer claimed the lead, eventually stretching its advantage to a set-high four points at 23-19. Alsten's ninth kill of the frame and a Catamount attack error sealed the 25-23 victory for the Bears.
Set 2 (19-25) | Neither squad was able to pull away from each other in the first 33 points of the second set, as Western Carolina held a slight 17-16 advantage. However, the Catamounts registered three unanswered points to take a four-point lead, forcing a Mercer timeout. Following the timeout, Western Carolina held momentum to finish the set on a 5-3 run.
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Set 3 (18-25) |Â Danielle Faust started set three on a high note, recording her third kill for the evening. Much like the second set, both squads went toe-to-toe in the opening 15 points with Western Carolina clinging to the 8-7 lead. The Catamounts then went on an 8-3 run to stretch their lead to 16-10. The Bears were unable to claw into the Western Carolina lead, dropping set three by the final score of 25-18.
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Set 4 (23-25) | Maddie Nunley registered a set-high 16 assists to help control the rhythm for the Bears. Mercer led the majority of the frame until the Catamounts claimed the 14-13 advantage after notching a kill. The final set proved to be a nail-biter to the end with both squads notched at 23-23. However, the Catamounts recorded the final two points of the set to claim the two-point victory.
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NOTABLES
- Paige Alsten connected for a season-high 23 kills, registering a .419 hitting percentage.
- Maddie Nunley recorded a season-high 49 assists, while Sarah Stewart tallied a season-high 11 kills.
- Emilee Wissmach led the Bears in digs with 15.
COACH SCHROEDER'S TAKE
"A solid effort tonight from 0-0," said head coach Derek Schroeder. "I really liked the tempo of our offense; I really thought that we did the things that we do well. Western Carolina does a really good job at defending and turning a match into their style of play. We said that we were going to have to make them pay and we're going to have to out-dig them, which we did. However we just didn't quite transition enough balls out of those defensive opportunities and we just couldn't get our offense clicking in transition."
RECORD UPDATE
- Mercer:Â 8-16, 2-9Â SoCon
- Western Carolina:Â 9-15, 4-7 SoCon
UP NEXT
Mercer will finish out its weekend by hosting UNCG on Saturday Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. at Hawkins Arena.
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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