Volleyball Comes Back From Two Sets Down To Notch 3-2 Senior Night Triumph Over Mercy College

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport rallied from being down two sets to none to post a 3-2 (20-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-12) Senior Night East Coast Conference win over the visiting Mercy College Mavericks in the regular season finale for both teams.  The win by the Purple Knights clinches the second seed for UB in next weekend's ECC Championship Tournament that will be hosted by Daemen College in Amherst, New York.  Bridgeport will face third-seed Mercy in a rematch of tonight's contest next Friday at most likely 7:30 p.m., but the start time has not been finalized yet.  Top-seed Daemen will host fourth seed Molloy College in Friday's other ECC semifinal.

Friday victory gives the Purple Knights a 17-9 overall record and 9-3 conference mark.  The Purple Knights have won nine of their last 10 matches.  Mercy is now 13-14 overall and 8-4 in the ECC.

After dropping the first two sets to the Mavericks, Bridgeport used a balance offense attack to battle back and win the final three stanzas.

Senior Emily Burford (Albuquerque, N.M.) led four Purple Knights in double-digit kills with 17 including the match clincher to end the fifth and deciding set.  Emily also finished with a double-double on Senior Night registering 14 digs.  She also had a match-high seven blocks on the night

Freshman Paola Hernandez (Bayamon, P.R.) and graduate student Amanda Hennemann (Nova Petropolis, Brazil) each 13 kills for the winners, and both finished with over 20 digs for a double-double, as Hernandez had a team-leading 23 and Hennemann recorded 22.

Freshman Melanie Smith (Ft. Collins, Colo.) rounded out the quartet of Purple Knights with double-digit kills smashing 11.

Setter Jaden Drollinger (Fr., Queens Creek, Az.) directed the Bridgeport offense with precision handing out a match-high 58 assists.

Mercy's Larissa Schneid led all players on the night with 21 kills.

Prior to the match, Bridgeport honored the five senior on this year's roster Amanda Hennemann, Emily Burford, Amanda Keller, Danielle Kreitler and Megan Kreitler.