Bear Dominate on Senior Day
11/5/2022 6:06:00 PM | Volleyball
MACON, GA - The Mercer Bears battled and went 1-3 against Furman this afternoon.
Set One | The teams stayed close and tie throughout the match. Furman gained momentum to take the lead at the first timeout (10-5). Big kills from Paige Wagers and Lillian Beardsley cut down on the lead. Jaida Howell and Annie Karle dominated at the net picking up multiple kills that led the Bears to get to a two-point deficit. Furman fought hard and held the lead to take the set 25-19.
Set Two | The Paladins looked for the same energy in this set, but were cut short with big blocks and kills from Howell. Mercer took the lead and held it at the first timeout, 15-11. Furman quickly retaliated to tie it up at 15. This was shortlived thanks to multiple attacks from Karle. The teams battled to tie it up again at 18. Furman would take a small lead but was quickly cut short and the teams would tie again at 21. The Bears dominated on a 4-0 scoring run and take the set 25-22.
Set Three | Mercer came through with powerful energy in this set with big kills from Rachel Bell. The teams were back and forth for the majority of the set with Furman leading 15-13. Mercer quickly regained the lead, highlighted by big kills from Howell and Karle. They took the set 25-19.
Set Four | Wagers started off the set with a big kill and the Bears continued to build off the momentum. The set showcased more kills for Howell who reached double digits kills and Kiera McCarles reached over 30 assists before the set was over. The Bear dominated with an 8-0 scoring run to further their lead. Karle continued to show her dominance at the net with multiple attacks and big plays. Mercer did not budge and took the set 25-16.Â
The Bears also recognized their seniors, Outside Hitter Morgan Verheyen, Middle Hitter Jaida Howell, Outside Hitter Annie Karle, Defensive Specialist Lexi Uhrhan, and graduate assistant.
The Seniors
- Morgan Verheyen is from Waterford Michigan. She has racked up 83 points for the Bears this season with 75 kills. Morgan will graduate with a degree in Biomedical Engineering.Â
- Jaida Howell comes from Whitby, Ontario Canada, and has played all four seasons at Mercer. She has more than 60 stars for the Bears and was defensive player of the month twice in her career. She is currently ranked second in the SoCon for career blocks with 282 and 35 this season so far. She has a total of 770 career kills with 115 kills this season. She will graduate with a degree in Technical Communications and plans to work as a UX Designer.
- Annie Karle is from Mount Olive, New Jersey She has played four seasons for the Bears coming back as a graduate student this year. She has started in almost 100 matches. Annie was placed on the 2018 Southern Conference All-Freshman team, 2021 All-Conference First Team, and 2021 All-Tournament Team and was recognized as March 3rd's Player of the Week in 2021. Annie has racked up 1320 career kills, the third highest in the SoCon, and has averaged 3.05 per set. This year she was named SoCon Offensive player of the week in September and leads the team in kills. Annie will complete her MBA in general business in December and has already accepted a full-time position at Grant Thornton as an audit associate that starts next fall.
- Lexi Urhan is from Louisville, KY. She has played all four years at Mercer and has appeared in over 70 matches for the Bears. She is ranked sixth in the conference for digs with a total of 273 averaging 3.55 this season. Lexi will graduate with a degree in business marketing and plans to get her MSM or MBA while being a graduate assistant for a volleyball team.
-  Biatriz Berti is from Brazil and has been with the Bears for two years. She plans to graduate in December with a Master's in Higher Education.
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UP NEXT
Mercer will be at home on Wednesday (Nov. 9) as they host Samford University. This will be the Bear's last regular season home game for 2022.Â
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