Bears Six-Game Streak Ends

Friday, October 22

Spartanburg, S.C.

6:00 P.M.

Mercer University

11-9,7-2SoCon

Wofford

11-11,5-5SoCon

Mercer

Wofford

10/22/2021 9:38:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Mercer falls to Wofford in four

By: Nicole Dennis

Spartanburg, S.C. – The Mercer Bears win streak of six games ended tonight in a four-set loss to the Wofford Terriers. "Wofford was very hype and defended well," said Head Coach Derek Schroeder. "A lot of credit to them and their staff. We still produced enough points to win in their barn but couldn't quite get over the hump. Great match to learn from and build some championship scar tissue moving forward."

MERCER VS. WOFFORD

Set One (25-21) | Rayanne de Oliveira would give the Bears their first two points with back-to-back kills. The Terriers six-point run resulted in a Mercer timeout, 8-2. The Terriers continued their streak with a 5-1 run, extending their lead by nine 13-4. The Bears would have a run of their own starting with points from Agnieska Paskevic a kill and a service ace. In this run, de Oliveira would register a block with Annie Karle and a kill, 14-9. Wofford would score an additional three points before Mercer would call a timeout. Following the timeout, Karle and Brittany Major would record kills and additional kills from De Oliveira and Major along with a service ace from de Oliveira would bring the Bears within four, 18-14. The teams would trade runs of three, keeping the game within three, 22-19. In this run, Jaida Howell registered a block with Paskevic and a kill. After a Wofford timeout, the teams traded points before Wofford closed with a kill and a service ace taking the set, 25-21.

Set Two (25-17) | Service errors would get both teams on the board to start the second set. Kills from de Oliveira and Taylor Lynch would give the Bears an early lead of one, 3-2. The Terriers answered with a run of three, giving them a two-point lead 5-3. Soon after, a run of four by the Bears would put them up by two, 8-6. Two of the four points would be from Jaida Howell with two kills. Point would be traded before a 7-1 run from the Bears gave them a lead of six, 15-9. Wofford registered several attack errors in this run but kills from Karle and de Oliveira and a service ace from Paskevic would assist. Following a Wofford timeout, additional kills from Karle and de Oliveira extended the Bears lead to eight 17-9. Points were traded but a final kill from Karle along with an attack error would allow Mercer to close the set, 25-17.

Set Three (26-24) | A kill from Lynch along with a block by Major and de Oliveira would give the Bears their first two points. The game would be tied five times before the Terriers would take a two-point lead, 9-7. A run of four including a kill from Karle and a block by de Oliveira and Lynch would allow the Bears to take lead of two, 11-9. Another run of three would extend the Bears lead to three before a Wofford timeout, 14-11. The Teams would go back and forth with runs of two resulting in a tie game at 17. The game would be tied twice more at 18 and 21 before a kill from de Oliveira and a service ace from Karle gave the Bears a two-point lead, 23-21. After a Mercer timeout, Wofford recorded three unanswered points resulting in the third set in their favor, 26-24.

Set Four (25-22) | A kill from Karle would start the fourth set and a kill by Major would tie the game at three. Attack errors would give the Terriers a two-point lead, 5-2. Points were traded before Mercer would call a timeout, trailing by four 16-12. A 6-0 run from the Terriers ended with a kill from Emma Jose which started a run of three for the Bears, 22-16. A run of two with an attack error and service ace from de Oliveira would keep the Bears within five, 24-19. Major and Howell would register kills and a block together to reduce the Bears deficit to two, 24-22 but a final kill from the Terriers would give them the match.

NOTABLES

Rayanne de Oliveira led with 13 kills, tied in service aces (2) and blocks (3)
Agnieska Paskevic led with 41 assists and tied in service aces (2)
Brittany Major and Jaida Howell tied with de Oliveira in blocks with three
Megan Smith led with 21 digs

The Bears will play The Citadel October 23^rd at 7:00 P.M.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
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