GREENVILLE, S.C. – Lara Matta finished with a match high 21 kills to lead the Mercer Bears to a 3-1 (19-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-22) Southern Conference victory over the Furman volleyball team, Friday evening at Timmons Arena.
Furman drops to 9-10 overall and 3-5 in the SoCon. The win propels Mercer to 12-8 on the season and 6-2 in conference play.
Izzy Castelloe notched her third double-double of the year to lead the Paladin offense with 14 kills and 11 digs.
Kacie Moore finished with 10 kills on .333 hitting.
Morgan Baldridge compiled a career high 32 assists to go with nine digs. Defensively,
Kennedy Seekford led the team with 12 digs and
Lauren Haynes turned in 11.
Matta hit .372 and totaled a double-double of 21 kills and 13 digs. Joselynn Sanjurjo compiled 10 kills. Sammi Bergjans also collected a double-double of 43 assists and 12 digs. Sarah Frager led all players with 15 digs.
The Paladins registered a .353 hitting percentage in the opening set, taking the frame by a 25-19 score. Castelloe hit .667 and led Furman with eight kills, Baldridge added 14 assists, and Haynes seven digs. The Paladins reeled off an 8-4 run heading into the media timeout and later built an 18-12 lead when
Amber Watson connected on a kill. The Bears cut Furman's advantage down to three late, but Castelloe secured the win following her service ace.
Mercer answered back by capturing the next three sets, 25-15, 25-19, 25-22, to secure the four-set victory. In set two, the Paladins were limited to .000 hitting with the Bears recording a .344 clip. Castelloe had three kills, and Baldridge four assists and three digs. The third set saw Furman hit .148 led by
Ashley Stein's three kills and Baldridge's six assists and three digs. The Paladins finished with a .111 hitting mark in the fourth set with Stein tallying four kills, Baldridge eight assists, and Castelloe six digs.
Furman concluded the contest hitting .152 overall and compiled 40 kills, 34 assists, and 55 digs. The Paladins held a 9-8 advantage in service aces and 9.0-7.0 in blocks.
Furman and Mercer wrap up their series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. from Timmons Arena. Fans can follow the action on www.furmanpaladins.com via live stats. The match is being streamed via paid subscription on ESPN+. Updates will be posted on the Furman volleyball Twitter page (@FurmanVB).
Single-game tickets are available at $10 with groups being able to purchase tickets at $5. Kids 12 years and younger receive free admission.
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