MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Bears fed off of an electric atmosphere at Hawkins Arena on Tuesday evening to defeat The Citadel, 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23), for their second straight Southern Conference volleyball win.
Mercer (12-8, 4-4 SoCon) got back to .500 in league play with its sixth win of the season at home and finished with a .308 hitting percentage against the Bulldogs (8-16, 1-7), who were coming off of their first SoCon win since 2011. Four Bears finished with double-digit kills in the match while two players – Claire Waliczek and Ellie James – recorded double-doubles as Mercer improved to 6-1 at Hawkins Arena this season.
Although Mercer opened the match with an impressive .302 hitting percentage in the first set, The Citadel won the frame, 26-24, and looked as if it was prepared to take a second straight SoCon victim. The Bears led late, 22-19, but a push by the Bulldogs over the final eight points that included three aces was enough to complete the rally.
Mercer responded well in the second set and held The Citadel to a match-worst .091 hitting percentage. Hannah Noon, Morgan MacGilvary and Emily Krogman all recorded aces in the set while three kills apiece from Ellie James and Heather Swann were enough to lead the way in the equalizing frame. The lopsided win was keyed by a 9-2 run in the middle of the frame that put Mercer up 21-13.
Behind nine total kills from MacGilvary and Swann, Mercer swatted an impressive .412 hitting percentage with only two attack errors to take control of the match.
With Mercer trailing 23-22 late in the third frame after exchanging blows, it was none other than Paige Alsten who recorded a solo block on SoCon kills leader Moriah Smith before notching a kill in the following point to give the Bears a 24-23 lead. The Citadel would commit an attack error on the next point, sealing the pivotal set for Mercer.
Mercer used a seven-point run following a 7-7 tie to separate itself from The Citadel in the fourth and final set before hanging on late for the match victory. James’ kill gave Mercer a 24-16 advantage, but the Bulldogs made things interesting with seven consecutive points before James came back with the finishing blow.
MacGilvary proved once again to be one of Mercer’s most versatile players, leading the team with 12 kills and three aces while adding a pair of blocks and three digs.
In the Bears’ biggest offensive sets – the first and the third – MacGilvary was a focal point, totaling five kills in both frames on an identical hitting percentage of .571. Both of the junior’s blocks were solos, including a crowd-rocking one in the fourth set that forced a timeout by The Citadel and gave Mercer a 12-7 advantage.
After missing Mercer’s first seven SoCon matches due to a lower leg injury, sophomore middle blocker Paige Alsten made a triumphant return to the court when she checked in during the second set. Sensing the importance of the moment, the crowd at Hawkins Arena gave Alsten a standing ovation.
Alsten, who was leading all conference players in total blocks and hitting percentage before suffering the injury, ended up making two of the biggest plays of the match in the third set to vault Mercer to a victory in the frame.
Mercer faces a difficult test in conference-leading ETSU (14-6, 6-2 SoCon) on Friday, Oct. 21 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The match will be played at 6 p.m. The Buccaneers are the only SoCon foe Mercer has yet to play this season.