Aug. 29, 2007

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's volleyball team, playing its home opener in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, picked up its fourth win in five games by dispatching Indiana (Pa.) in three games Wednesday evening.

The Lakers took the match by scores of 30-22, 30-18 and 30-24, keeping IUP winless at 0-5 on the season. Mercyhurst totaled an impressive 48 kills and committing just 18 errors while IUP committed 26 errors to 24 kills.

Sophomore Lauren Kubinski came within one kill of tying a career-high with 17 on 36 swings for a hitting percentage of .389. She also added four digs, three block assists and a block solo.

Classmate Julia Butler recorded her third 40-assist match of the season, as she totaled 43 against the Crimson Hawks. Her 43 assists matched her previous season-best of 41 as the top mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) this season. Butler also led the team with 12 digs.

After a Mercyhurst service error gave the Crimson Hawks a 1-0 lead in game one, the Lakers quickly took charge with five-straight points and never again trailed in game one or game two.

IUP took advantage of several Mercyhurst errors early in game one, and a Maddie Schulte kill gave the Crimson Hawks a lead at 10-9. Mercyhurst managed to retake the lead and with the score at 15-14, senior Christine Nisbet, who finished the contest with 10 kills on 14 attacks, delivered three kills in Mercyhurst's next four points to extend the lead.

Kubinski closed out the match with her 17th kill of the evening.

Senior Jenna Matson also tallied 10 kills and Justine Smith chipped in eight kills, two block solos and three block assists.

The Lakers open competition in the Mercyhurst Invitational at the MAC on Friday, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. against W.Va. Wesleyan.