Mercer Slips Past Jacksonville, Reaches 20-Win Mark

Friday, April 11

Jacksonville, Fla.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

Jacksonville

Mercer Slips Past Jacksonville, Reaches 20-Win Mark

4/11/2025 10:05:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mercer's No. 3 pair of Kate Hardie and Sydney Benson rallied back from an opening-set loss to eventually register the match-clincher with a 15-13 win in the deciding third set as the Bears eked past Jacksonville, 3-2, in its opener at the North Florida Invitational on Friday afternoon.

MU's late-afternoon matchup with host and 17^th-ranked North Florida was postponed due to steady rain in northeast Florida. That match will commence on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. as part of a tripleheader for the Orange & Black.

The Bears (20-9) pushed their school-record win total out to 20 with Friday's win over Jacksonville (11-15). Mercer improved to 21-13 in the 13-year-old series, and has now won seven of the last eight matchups with the Dolphins.

Jacksonville captured each of the matchups on Court Nos. 1 and 2, including a three-set win from Kristina Nika and Hayden Garnett at No. 2 Pairs. Nicole O'Mara and Kathryn Corbett improved to 22-5 on the campaign with a 21-12, 21-14 win on Court No. 4, while Carly Lenhardt and Jordyn Thomas-Warren were equally as dominant with a 21-16, 21-13 triumph on Court No. 5.

Hardie/Benson fell on the wrong end of a 21-19 decision in their first set with Katie Martinez and Meredith Mrukowski, but leveled the matchup with a 21-15 triumph in the second set before delivering a 15-13 clincher in the third set.

Mercer will close out the road portion of its 2025 schedule on Saturday at the Cooper Beach Volleyball Complex. Following the conclusion of its red-eye matchup with the Ospreys, the Bears are scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. rematch with Jacksonville before taking on North Florida again at 12:30 p.m.