Man, that was fun.
The Mercy community rallied behind the volleyball program at Adelphi this weekend as they competed in the NCAA Tournament, witnessing the Mavs conquer second-seeded New Haven in a thrilling first-round upset. Their first tournament win in 22 years, and the people of Westchester couldn’t be prouder.
Welcome to The Roundup.
All eyes on campus have officially shifted to the basketball programs that are in the heat of regular season play. The fall sports are a hard act to follow after their recent boom of success, but the resurrected women’s hoops team may just be on their own journey to greatness.
Mercy VB meets the national stage
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
The historic 2023 season for Mercy women’s volleyball concluded on Friday night, as the seventh-seeded Mavs were defeated by the third-seeded Bentley Falcons, 3-1, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
An emotional 24 hours, the Mavericks came into the game fresh off their first NCAA playoff win in over two decades. A moment which felt like the seal breaker into the start of the team’s national recognition.
Mercy certainly still did earn its respect, but a learning curve was also in the cards for the inexperienced crew . They competed against a seasoned Falcons team, who in comparison, are playing in their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament.
There’s no harm in a tip of the cap to Bentley, who went on to win the East Region of the NCAA Tournament after defeating ECC powerhouse Daemen in convincing fashion, 3-1. The Falcons copious experience is the foundation to what they’re currently accomplishing – and that’s why this was an immense season for the Mavericks.
As the team heads into the offseason once again, the vibes inside the Neil Judge Athlete Center are a bit different than a year ago. Although their conference tournament result was no different, the Mavs dipped their toes in a body of water they never have before. The exposure was an excellent starting point, and now the goal is about making it an annual tradition.
The trajectory for the volleyball team in 2024 is amongst the highest we’ve ever seen, and Ana Todorovic is the reason for it.
May scores season-high against first place Spartans
Mercy men’s basketball was back in action on Saturday afternoon after an 11 day break, opening up their ECC schedule against St. Thomas Aquinas. The Spartans are in first place in the conference at 8-1 and are receiving votes in the AP Poll, posing as quite the matchup for a Maverick squad who’s had a harrowed season thus far.
St. Thomas Aquinas came out on top in a throttling 106-74 victory over Mercy. The prodigious shooting talent by the Spartans was on display all game as they shot 52.9% from field goal territory and a lights out 50% from behind the arc.
When a squad is white hot on offense like that, it’s difficult to compete for anyone on the other side. Even in the loss, Mercy got solid production from their older players who were heavily relied on.
Alex May had a season-high 20 points which led the team. The senior has been quietly efficient so far this year, averaging 14 points per game on 42% shooting. Jayden Dewaal added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds to tack on to his monster start to the year.
The Mavs also got great minutes out of Garrett Kirkland and Sean Conroy who combined for 25 points off the bench. A deep roster of capable talent is nice to have for Chris Watts as he continues to figure out how to put the puzzle together.
Up on deck for Mercy are a pair of ECC contests, beginning with a home game against Staten Island on Wednesday night before the team boards the bus to UDC on Saturday.
Women’s hoops still going strong
It was another respectable week for the Lady Mavs, who went 1-1 in their two games played.
Mercy defeated Post this past Wednesday, 66-50. A contest the Mavericks only led by two points going into half, was thrown in full cruise control in the second.
Powered behind 41 points combined from the Maverick’s power duo of Katie Wall and Jaclyn Stanavich, Mercy outscored the Eagles by 14 following the break and rode to a comfortable double digit victory. Angelina Barrera was excellent in this one as well, notching a double double with 10 points and an impressive team-high 13 rebounds.
The crew then traveled to St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday for their first conference game of the season, dropping a 73-59 battle. The score isn’t reflective of the back and forth shootout this was for the first three quarters. Mercy was only down 52-50 going into the fourth, until the wheels fell off.
St Thomas Aquinas outscored the Mavericks 21-9 in the final frame, turning a street fight type slugfest into a more attractive 14 point win for the Spartans. Mercy’s struggles at the foul line didn’t help aid the comeback either, as the team shot 66% from the stripe.
Katie Wall was brilliant, again, scoring a double double with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Wall broke the program record for career three pointers scored in the game, recording her 193rd shot from downtown. And that may not even be the only milestone she eclipses this season.
The star guard is averaging a nutty 22.3 points per game currently. If she stays on pace, Wall can very well end her career as the all time leader in points scored. The legacy that No. 3 is leaving behind is legendary status.
The Mavs will look to rebound in back to back ECC games this week. First up is the Staten Island Dolphins on Wednesday evening, then a road trip to the nation’s capital on Saturday for a meeting with UDC.
