Box Score RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Mercy College posted 18 blocks during its come-from-behind 3-2 (24-26, 23-25, 25-13, 29-27, 15-12) non-conference women's volleyball victory over host Felician College on Thursday night at Job Gymnasium. Felician (1-8) was playing its 2015 home opener.
During the first set, Golden Falcon senior defensive specialist Sarah Shebel (Chandler, Ariz./Perry) recorded her 100th career service ace, becoming the second player in the 12-year history of the Felician program to do so.
Felician took the last three points of each of the first two sets to earn a 2-0 advantage in the match. Mercy (4-5) hit .290 in a decisive Set 3 victory before the match turned on the fourth set.
Set 4 was tied 17 times and featured seven lead changes. As the set was extended, the Mavericks fought off four match points, then took a 27-26 lead. A kill by Felician freshman Carmen Shaw (Gardnerville, Nev./Douglas) knotted the set for the final time, but a kill by Mercy freshman Brianna Heffernan (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) and an ace from classmate Peyton Olson (Albany, Ore./West Albany) set the match to a deciding set.
Senior Susie McKeever (North Fort Myers, Fla./North Fort Myers) served the Golden Falcons to a 5-0 Set 5 lead, but with Kaila Berlovan (Floral Park, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) on serve, the Mavericks came right back to move ahead, 6-5. The set was tied five times, the last time at 12-12. After a Felician error, Mercy used a Berlovan ace and a kill by Olson to close out the match.
Olson registered 23 kills, 15 digs and six aces for the Mavericks, while sophomore middle Sa'Naya Johnson (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizbeth) turned in 15 kills and nine blocks. Eva Marie Lynch (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall) had 13 blocks and Heffernan 25 digs to pace the Mercy defense.
Felician put six players in double figures in digs, led by 20 from junior libero Niccole Soriano (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth). Paulina Calero (El Centro, Calif./Southwest) finished with 16 kills and 12 digs and Shaw added 13 kills and 12 digs. McKeever accumulated seven kills, 37 assists and 15 digs from her setter position.
Shebel's 101 career aces trail only the 105 of Megan Delamater (2008-11) on Felician's all-time list.
