Bears Fall in Quarterfinals

Friday, November 19

Birmingham, Ala.

3:00 P.M. E.T.

Mercer University

16-12,12-4SoCon

Furman University

9-19,3-14SoCon

Furman

Mercer

Photo by: Todd Drexler/SESPORTSMEDIA.com

11/19/2021 7:17:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Mercer's season ends in four-set loss to Furman

By: Nicole Dennis

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Mercer Bears volleyball season ended in a quarterfinals loss to the Furman Paladins. The Bears and Paladins faced off for four sets, but were unable to finish with a victory. The championship tournament will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 21st.

MERCER VS. FURMAN

Set One (25-20) | While Furman would be the first on the board, the Bears answered with a 5-1 run to take a three-point lead, 5-2. In this run, Taylor Lynch recorded two kills with Jaida Howell and Brittany Major recording a kill a piece. Lynch, Major, and Howell would record additional kills along with a block by Annie Karle and Howell to keep the Bears up by four, 9-5. The Paladins would score six points in a row to take a two-point lead before the Bears answered with a 3-0 run of their own to reclaim the lead at one, 13-12. Rayanne de Oliveira assisted with two kills and a service ace by Karle. Points will be traded with the lead going back-and-forth. Kills from Howell and Major would put the Bears in the lead by two, 17- 15 before the Paladins went on a 5-0 run to regain the lead at three, 20-17. Howell, Karle, and Agnieska Paskevic would record kills to tie the set at 20 before a final 5-0 run by the Paladins would allow them to take set one.

Set Two (27-25) | The second set started with a quick 4-0 run from the Paladins. The Bears would trail the set until kills by Howell and Paskevic would the game at 16. The Paladins would take the lead again, 18-16 but kills from Howell and a block by de Oliveira and Paskevic followed by a bad set would give the Bears a one-point lead, 19-18. The teams would trade points resulting in seven additional tie scores before a final 3-0 run from the Bears. Kills from Howell and Karle and an error would give the Bears the last three points needed to close the set.

Set Three (25-21) | de Oliveira would record back-to-back kills to start the third set. Points would be traded with the Bears remaining in the lead before a 3-0 run from the Paladins put them up by one, 7-8. Howell and Karle would record kills to regain the lead with the Paladins immediately answering with another 3-0 run, 11-9. The teams would trade errors with a service ace from the Paladins putting them up by two, 13-11. Lynch worked offensively and defensively to put the Bears in the lead by one recording two kills and block, 14-13. The Paladins would regain their lead recording three points in a row but a kill from Lynch and a service ace from de Oliveira would tie the set at 16. Kills from Howell and Major would put the Bears up by one, 18-17 but the Paladins would score 5 unanswered points to take a four-point lead, 22-18. Major, Paskevic and Howell would record kills keeping the game within two, 23-21 but the Paladins would close the set with a kill and an error.

Set Four (25-16) | Although the Bears would be the first on the board, the Paladins would quickly take a five point lead, 9-4. Kills from Howell, de Oliveira and a block de Oliveira and Lynch would put the Bears within one, 10-9. The Paladins would answer extending their lead to three before back-to-back kills from de Oliveira put the game back within one, 12-11. The Paladins would score three in a row to extend their lead to four, 15- 11 before a kill from Lynch and a block by Major would put the game back within one, 15-14. A run of eight by the Paladins would extend their lead to nine, 23-14. A block by Major and Howell and a kill by Paskevic would be the last recorded Mercer points before the Paladins finished the match, closing the set with a kill and an error.

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