Mercer Drops Both Matches in Double Header

Friday, September 17

Statesboro, Ga.

12:30 PM

Mercer University

3-6,0-0SoCon

USC Upstate

3-7,0-0Big South

USC Upstate

Mercer

9/17/2021 8:47:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Bears fall to USC Upstate and Georgia Southern

By: Nicole Dennis

STATESBORO, Ga. – The Mercer Bears lost to both USC Upstate (3-0) and Georgia Southern (3-0) in straight sets.

MERCER VS. USC Upstate

Set One (25-21) | The Bears got off to a slow start and the first set against the Spartans with their first three points given to them due to errors. (8-3). A kill from Brittany Major followed by a block and kill from Rayanne de Oliveira put the Bears within two, 8-6. The Bears and the Spartans traded a few points before the Spartans went on a 4-0 run putting them up by seven, 15-8. Later in the set, three straight kills from Taylor Lynch made it a three-point set, 17-14. Kills from Major, de Oliveira, and Mykole Morgan kept the Bears within two. Errors from the Spartans would tie the game at 20. Immediately after, the Spartans would to go on a 4-0 run before ending the set with a kill.

Set Two (25-18) | A service ace by Agnieska Paskevic would start the second set. Paige Wagers would score the next two Mercer points, keeping the set within one, 4-3. The Spartans would go on two separate runs of three and two, putting them up by five, 9-4. The teams went back-and-forth with points before Mercer went on a 4-0 run including a block from Wagers and Lynch. The Bears kept the game within one before the Spartans went on run of three, making it a four-point game, 18-14. The Bears answered with a run of three of their own before the Spartans put the Bears back at a five-point deficit, 22-17. The Spartan offense did not let up, taking the match 25-18.

Set Three (25-16) | The Bears started the third set strong with three of the first points coming from Lynch who recorded two kills and a block assist with Wagers. The Spartans responded, tying the game at three. The teams went back and forth with points, resulting in eight total tie scores. The last tie of the game would be at 12, with the Spartans going on a 3-0 run, 15-12. Kills from Lynch and Major would put the game within two, 16-14. However, the Spartans would score seven straight answered points giving them the lead at 24-15. A kill from Wagers would interrupt their run but the Spartans would take the set and the match with the next point.

MERCER VS. Georgia Southern

Set One (25-20) | Kills from Taylor Lynch would be the first two points of the set for Mercer. A service ace from Megan Smith would tie the game at five. A kill from de Oliveira and another service ace put the Bears up by two, 7-5. A kill and service ace from de Oliveira extended the Bears lead to four, 13-9. A 4-0 run from the Eagles tied the game at 13. The Bears went back up by three led with a kill from Jaida Howell, 16-13. The Spartans scored five unanswered points giving them a lead of two, 18-16. A service ace by Smith tied the game at 19 and a block from Morgan and de Oliveira put the Bears back on top, 20-19. Following a timeout from Georgia Southern, the Eagles scored three times taking the lead, 22-20. After a Mercer timeout the Eagles continued their streak and scored three straight to win the set 25-20.

Set Two (25-20) | A service error and kill by Major tied the game early at two. The Eagles went up by three but kills from Howell, Morgan, and de Oliveira kept the Bears within two, 8-6. de Oliveira and Lynch would record a block before the Eagles scored four points in a row, 13-7. After a Mercer timeout, a kill from Lynch and block by Howell closed the Eagles lead to four, 13-9. Kills from Emma Jose and Howell made it a five-point game, 17-12. The Eagles and the Bears traded runs of three keeping the game within five, 21-16. A kill from Lynch, a block by Howell and Major, and a kill from Howell would keep the Bears within four but their efforts would not be enough. The Eagles closed the set, 25-20.

Set Three (25-10) | The Bears struggled to find the momentum in the third set, scoring only 10 points. Lynch, Major, Howell, and Morgan all scored once and Wagers recorded two kills at the end of the set before the Eagles finished, 25-10.

NOTABLES

Taylor Lynch recorded a double-double for the Bears with 13 kills and 20 digs; recorded three blocks.
Megan Smith recorded three service aces.
Rayanne de Oliveira led defensively with four total blocks.

The Bears will compete tomorrow against Alabama State at 10:00 a.m.

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.