Ally Smith
Matt Mead Photography LLC
0
Mercyhurst MER 10-19, 5-11 PSAC
3
Winner Gannon University GAN 26-1, 15-1 PSAC
Mercyhurst MER
10-19, 5-11 PSAC
0
Final
3
Gannon University GAN
26-1, 15-1 PSAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Mercyhurst MER 18 20 23 (0)
Gannon University GAN 25 25 25 (3)

Next Match:

at Slippery Rock University

11/2/2018 | 7:00 PM

Next Match

Full Schedule
Nov. 02 (Fri) / 7:00 PM
at Slippery Rock University

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | David Rung, Director of Athletics Media Relations

No. 20 Gannon Women's Volleyball Ends Home Slate Unbeaten With Sweep Of Mercyhurst

THE RUNDOWN
  • Final Score: No. 20 Gannon 3, Mercyhurst 0
  • Set Scores: 25-18, 25-20, 25-23
  • Records: Gannon (26-1, 15-1 PSAC) | Mercyhurst (10-19, 5-11 PSAC)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. – Hammermill Center  
  • The Short Story: Closing out a perfect home slate during the regular season, the No. 20 Gannon women's volleyball team hit .357 as a team to pick up and hard-earned sweep of Mercyhurst Tuesday evening at the Hammermill Center.
 
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER  
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • In foreshadowing what was to come for much of the night, Gannon and Mercyhurst were locked in a close one throughout the first set. The Lakers scored two straight to take a 6-4 lead, but three straight points on a kill and an ace from Toni Leitshuh (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) made it 9-8.
  • The Lady Knights flipped the lead again a couple times in the set, but trailed 16-15 after a burst by the guests. Gannon began a late run with back-to-back kills from Leitshuh to take a 17-16 lead.
  • That run turned out to be 10 of the final 12 points of the set, as Leitshuh added another kill, along with three from Ally Smith (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and four errors by the Lakers to close out the set.
  • Lexi Johnson (Chandler, Ariz./Basha), Ashley McClung (Charleston, W.Va./George Washington) and Leitshuh each registered a kill to help the Knights out to a 5-2 advantage to start the second, and that lead grew as large as 11-6 after a kill from Ashley Beyers (Lanark, Ill./Eastland), but Mercyhurst charged back and moved in front with a 6-0 run to make it 12-11 midway through the set.
  • The Knights stole the lead back with four straight kills, including two by Smith, and maintained a multi-point edge until the Lakers drew to within one at 19-8. Another kill from Smith and an ace out of Kenzie Lasher (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) made it 22-19, and three straight points — punctuated by a block from Johnson and McClung — sealed it to give Gannon a 2-0 lead in the match.
  • Johnson started the third out with a kill and another block with McClung to make it a quick 3-0 margin for the hosts, but Mercyhurst bounced right back with three straight of its own.
  • The Lakers never led in the final set, but also never trailed by more than two until a late 5-0 rally by the Knights. McClung picked up three kills in the spurt, with Leitshuh adding a kill and Smith an ace.
  • Mercyhurst got back into it with three points to make it 24-23, but McClung stunted the comeback attempt to end the match.
 
GAME NOTES
  • Gannon hit .357 for the match, hitting at least .333 in each set.
  • McClung and Smith led the way offensively, going for 14 kills against just two errors each.
  • Beyers tossed out 39 assists, adding 10 digs and three blocks.
  • Smith also led the team in digs, putting up 13. Lydia Lukomski (Portville, N.Y./Portville Central) added 11 digs and an ace as the libero.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • The .357 hitting percentage was the Knights' fourth-best of the season, and their top mark in conference play.
  • Lukomski matched her season high with 11 digs, a number she hit Saturday at Bloomsburg.
  • Beyers has amassed at least 36 assists in a three-set match (12.0 assist per set) on four different occasions this season.
  • Gannon wrapped up the home portion of its schedule with a perfect 9-0 record.
  • The Lady Knights clinched the best conference record in the PSAC with the win. Tiebreaker scenarios keep the top seed of next week's PSAC tournament up in the air, but one win in the team's final two matches would clinch the top spot.
  • Gannon did lock up a top-four seed, and thus will host a PSAC quarterfinal Nov. 6 at the Hammermill Center.
 
UP NEXT
  • Gannon begins its final weekend of action before the postseason on Friday, heading to Slippery Rock for a 7 p.m. match at Morrow Field House.
  • Live stats and live video will be available for the match.
  • The Knights swept the Rock at home on Oct. 13, and have won 19 consecutive matches against SRU.
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Players Mentioned

Ashley Beyers

#5 Ashley Beyers

S
5' 11"
Sophomore
Pre-Veterinary Medicine/Biology
Lexi Johnson

#17 Lexi Johnson

MB
5' 11"
Senior
Nursing
Toni Leitshuh

#18 Toni Leitshuh

OH
5' 9"
Junior
Biology
Lydia Lukomski

#9 Lydia Lukomski

OH/DS
5' 8"
Junior
Pre-Medicine
Ally Smith

#11 Ally Smith

OH
5' 9"
Junior
Early Childhood Education
Kenzie Lasher

#10 Kenzie Lasher

OH/DS
5' 7"
Freshman
Mechanical Engineering
Ashley McClung

#4 Ashley McClung

S/RS
6' 1"
Freshman
Environmental Engineering

Players Mentioned

Ashley Beyers

#5 Ashley Beyers

5' 11"
Sophomore
Pre-Veterinary Medicine/Biology
S
Lexi Johnson

#17 Lexi Johnson

5' 11"
Senior
Nursing
MB
Toni Leitshuh

#18 Toni Leitshuh

5' 9"
Junior
Biology
OH
Lydia Lukomski

#9 Lydia Lukomski

5' 8"
Junior
Pre-Medicine
OH/DS
Ally Smith

#11 Ally Smith

5' 9"
Junior
Early Childhood Education
OH
Kenzie Lasher

#10 Kenzie Lasher

5' 7"
Freshman
Mechanical Engineering
OH/DS
Ashley McClung

#4 Ashley McClung

6' 1"
Freshman
Environmental Engineering
S/RS