Mercer Records Perfect Saturday At UNF Duuuval Duals

Saturday, March 1

Jacksonville, Fla.

10 a.m.

Mercer University

Jacksonville

Mercer Records Perfect Saturday At UNF Duuuval Duals

3/1/2025 11:26:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Jacksonville Box Score Saint Leo Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Red-hot Mercer used victories less than a minute apart to fuel a 3-2 win over Atlantic Sun rival Jacksonville in the morning matchup, and then steamrolled Saint Leo by a 4-1 count on the way to an unbeaten day at the North Florida-hosted Duuuval Duals on Saturday.

The victories helped this year's edition of the Bears (6-2) keep pace with the 2019 program for the best start in program history. The 2019 team won seven of its first eight outings before dropping its last five contests of the season. MU's early victory was its fourth-straight triumph in the 30-match-old series with Jacksonville (1-7), while the Orange & Black improved to 3-1 all-time in the series with the Lions (1-5).

Jacksonville's pair of Amanda Cunningham and Kelly Erhard finished off a 21-14, 21-18 victory at No. 5 pairs to give Jacksonville a 2-1 lead on the team scoreboard, but Mercer was undeterred. Lexi Polychrones and Hollis Engel toppled JU's Emily Kubicsko and Claire Murowski on Court No. 1 minutes later to knot the score up, and Mercer raked in the team win 30 seconds later when Katie Hardie and Jordan Paddock finished off a third-set clincher to add the final team point to the board.

The afternoon matchup with Saint Leo provided its own dramatics as the Bears tallied a trio of victories in three sets to ultimately fuel the final. Kathryn Corbett and Nicole O'Mara breezed through their matchup at No. 4 pairs, 21-14 and 21-8, but the Lions evened things up a short time later with a 21-19, 21-17 win at No. 2 Pairs.

Of the three matchups that went the distance against Saint Leo, Liv Diaz and Sydney Benson shook nerves the most. Mercer's No. 3 Pair fell 21-19 in their opening set with SLU's Paula Perez Rosales and Erin Johnson, but surged back to post a 21-16 decision in the second set and a 15-9 showing in the deciding third set.

The Bears will continue their season-opening 14-match stretch away from home on Wednesday when they begin a 6-match swing through Southern California at the Cal State Northridge Invite. The Orange & Black is scheduled for matches with both CSU North Ridge (2-4) and CSU Bakersfield (2-4) at the CSUN Beach Volleyball Complex.