October 15, 2010

Volleyball Handles Hatters, 3-1

DELAND, Fla. – Mercer junior Charlotte Harris amassed a career-high 39 digs as the Bears took a 3-1 (11-25, 25-16, 27-25, 25-20) victory over Stetson in Friday night’s Atlantic Sun conference volleyball match at the Edmunds Center.

The win marked Mercer’s third straight conference victory and moved the Bears to 9-14 (3-2 A-Sun).  Stetson fell for its fifth-straight time in conference play and fell to 1-19 (0-5 A-Sun).

Harris’ 39 digs fell one dig short of the Atlantic Sun record for digs in a four set conference match.  Jacksonville libero Shelley Walroth had 40 digs in a four set win at Campbell on Nov. 6, 2009.

Harris’ defensive effort frustrated the Hatter attackers repeatedly and helped the Bears limit the hosts to a .108 hitting percentage.  Harris extended her conference leading dig total to 416.

Mercer junior Amiee Frutchey posted her third-straight double-double performance, spiking a career-high 16 kills and adding 18 digs in the win.  Frutchey also contributed three block assists on Friday evening.

Mercer senior Krista Hurley recorded the highest hitting percentage for the visitors, smashing 12 kills with only five errors.  Hurley also notched a team-high five total blocks.

Mercer struggled in the opening set Friday night as Stetson came out strong on its home court.  The Hatters recorded 12 kills as a team with a single error en route to the 25-11 win.

Mercer got revenge in the second set, limiting Stetson to a .146 hitting percentage as the Bears cruised to a 25-16 second set win.

The third set was hotly contested and featured 15 tie scores and 10 lead changes.  Each team exchanged blows until the set was knotted at 25 apiece.  Mercer gained a set-point opportunity via a Stetson attack error and moment later Frutchey pounded out a kill to put Mercer up, 2-1.

In the fourth set, Mercer broke away from a 17-17 tie with three straight scores.  The Hatters were unable to recover from the deficit.

Mercer returns to action at Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday at 7 p.m.