Atlantic Sun tournament

Volleyball pressured to win with A-Sun berth on the line

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Published Nov 2, in Sports

In their final home conference match of the year, the Mercer Bears volleyball squad missed a chance to grab an advantage and control its own destiny for the postseason with a tough loss to cap off an up-and-down two weeks for Mercer volleyball. The Bears are 10-17 overall and 3-7 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. With four games remaining, they must win out. At the beginning of the season, Coach Noelle Rooke said that it was all about “peaking at the right time.” The Bears need that now to clinch a postseason spot.

Mercer 3, Chattanooga 1
The Bears continued their break from Atlantic Sun play with a match at home against Chattanooga. The 3-1 win saw a total of 25 kills come from the right side duo of Anna Coursey and Caroline Carlton. The Bears won 25-19, 25-16, 20-25, 25-22. Another great performance all around from the team is what sent the Bears back in the right direction after the rough close loss versus the Rattlers. Charlotte Harris added 24 digs to her tally, and Monica Sanchez had 30 huge assists. For the 10th time this season, Jennifer Katona had at least 10 kills.

ETSU 3, Mercer 1
Despite bringing a two-game winning streak into Johnson City, Tenn., the Bears were unable to get past ETSU, falling 3-1. ETSU dropped the first set, but rallied to take three straight 18-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-15. Mercer could not get past the Lady Bucs. Harris had 20 digs, and Madeline Dolny added a double-double with 21 assists and 12 digs. Carlton added nine kills with a decent hitting percentage.

Mercer 3, USC-Upstate 1
The Mercer Bears finished the conference road trip by getting back on the right foot with a solid win against USC Upstate. The Spartans were not able to finish the match off after a strong start, with the Bears winning 23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-18. Amiee Frutchey had 20 kills in the match, with Jamie Duffy and Jennifer Katona each adding 12. Charlotte Harris might have led the Bears with 23 digs, but Frutchey contributed 22. The Bears needed to rebound after the Bucs loss, and this was a great result.

Mercer 3, North Florida 0
The Bears began their final Atlantic Sun homestand of the season with a 3-0 drubbing of North Florida in the University Center. The Bears sent the Ospreys home without a win in any set at 25-18, 25-19, 25-20. North Florida was held to either zero or negative attacking efficiency the whole night, and the Bears picked them apart as a result. Harris had 14 digs, Dolny had 19 assists, Frutchey had nine kills, and Duffy had 10 digs, showing that the Bears had slightly lower numbers than their win over the Spartans a week prior, but they won more as a team than any individual effort.

Jacksonville 3, Mercer 0
Mercer lost their final Atlantic Sun game at home this year with a 3-0 decision against the Jacksonville Dolphins. The Dolphins manhandled the Bears, winning 25-20, 25-18, 25-21. Charlotte Harris got to 393 digs on the year, 1,280 in her career, with a 16-dig performance that was one of the bright spots on the afternoon. Jennifer Katona also had 12 kills. Coach Rooke lamented that “the same team couldn’t show up two days in a row.” Madeline Dolny also had 31 assists. This game celebrated the senior trio of Anna Coursey, Charlotte Harris, and Amiee Frutchey for their Mercer careers.

The Bears are next in action on the road at Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 4, followed by a trip to Stetson the next day. Their last game at home is on Nov. 9 against Savannah State, and three days later, the Bears play Kennesaw State before a potential trip to the Atlantic Sun Championship in Nashville at Lipscomb University.

Bears soccer continues to be poised, hungry

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Published Nov 2, in Soccer, Sports

On Oct. 19 the men’s soccer team tied the game against USC Upstate followed by a win on Oct. 22 against East Tennessee State. They followed these performances with another tie against Lipscomb on Oct. 27. This brings the team’s record to 7-6-3. Mercer’s next match is an away game against Duke University to complete their regular season. The first round of the A-Sun Tournament begins on Nov. 9. The Bears are 2-3-2 in conference play this year.
The scoreless home game against USC Upstate went into double overtime with a total of 110 minutes of game time. Even with a season high of 23 shots overall, the Bears were unable to get a goal in the net. Another season high for the game went to goal keeper Greg Ranhitsingh who made six saves.
On senior night, the Bears played a home game against ETSU that resulted in a 1-0 win for Mercer. It brought them to a tie at seventh place with ETSU in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The goal of the match was scored in the 79th minute by midfielder Carl-Oscar Andersson. Congratulations to the freshman midfielder for having scored his first goal of the season. His assist came from a pass by Matt Brazer.
Mercer’s second tie game was 1-1 road game against Lipscomb. Like the first game, this went into overtime with 110 minutes of total game time. One key difference is that Mercer was a man down. The first goal was scored by the opposing team in the 25th minute of the match. The rest of the first half stayed scoreless, but things turned around at the start of the second half when Ehjayson Henry sent a header to Ryan King who tied the game for the Bears with a shot past the goal keeper. In the 87th minute of the match, Josh Shutter received his second yellow card leaving the Bears a man down for the rest of the match.
Midfield player Will Betts leads the squad with five goals and two assists. He is followed by Josh Shutter and Ehjayson Henry with three goals.
As a team, the Bears outshine their opponent’s combined goals and shots. Mercer has outscored opponents 20-17. They have also outshot them 210-193. The majority of both goals and shots have been achieved in the second half of the games.
With 14 goals and 107 shots in their second half of games, Mercer shows that they are poised and hungry late in the match.
The first round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament will be held at Bear Field on Nov. 9. The semis and championships resume on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Women’s soccer outduels Jacksonville, advances to Atlantic Sun semi-finals

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Published Nov 2, in Soccer, Sports

After winning their way in, the Mercer Bears women’s soccer team has advanced to the Atlantic Sun semifinal with a thrilling penalty shoot out win over Jacksonville University. Despite being the sixth and lowest seed for the tournament, the Bears are trying to defend their title from last year and return to the NCAA tournament. However, the path to get here was one that has most of the Atlantic Sun scratching their heads. As of Oct. 29, the Bears are 9-7-2 overall, with a rematch with East Tennessee State looming in the semifinal. ETSU was recently awarded with the player, freshman and coach of the year for the Atlantic Sun.

The Path to Defend the Title
Mercer 1, USC-Upstate 0
The Bears needed a win, and for the second-straight game, freshman Washida Blackman scored a dramatic game-winning goal. The Bears took control of their postseason destiny even more with the comprehensive win on the road. For the ninth time this season, the Bears held their opponent scoreless and grinded out a win. They held USC Upstate to just two shots in the match, with neither getting on target. Meanwhile, the Bears had several players who got at least two shots off, and Emerald Phillips threatened the goal four times. After weeks of Head Coach Grant Serafy demanding that his players needed “heart” to win, he said that the Bears “had a very good performance.” The Bears finally lived up to expectations, controlling their own destiny because of this result.

ETSU 2, Mercer 1
Mercer suffered a huge blow to their postseason aspirations, but due to other results around the conference, this tough 2-1 loss against the ETSU Lady Bucs was nothing more than a sour end to the regular season and snapped a two-game winning streak. The Bears went up early behind Olivia Tucker’s ninth goal of the year in the eighth minute. However, ETSU rallied, with a winner in the 81st minute after an equalizer in the first half. ETSU keeper Caitlin Gaughan played phenomenally, with six saves to stop the Bears from assuring a playoff spot on their own. Coach Serafy gave all the credit to ETSU for stepping up and making a play “when they needed it.” The win gave ETSU the A-Sun  co-championship.
Mercer 1, Jacksonville 1 (Mercer 4-2 on PKs)
Whenever a conference champion has several individuals return from the winning squad, they never can be brushed aside in the postseason. Despite being the sixth and lowest seed and having clinched a spot due to some beneficial results around the conference, the Mercer Bears women’s soccer team marched into Jacksonville, forced overtime late, and capped off a penalty shootout win to advance. Olivia Tucker was one of four Bears who scored in the shootout, but hers eliminated the Dolphins, one of three teams to win the Atlantic Sun regular season title. The Bears had just one shot on target all game, but it did not matter. Casey Barrett’s goal was her first since Sept. 16 against Presbyterian.

The Bears are next in action on Friday, Nov. 4 against ETSU in Fort Myers, Fla. The Bears look to avenge their defeat from two weeks ago, but both squads are looking to play in the final and have a chance for NCAA glory.

coaching spotlight: Noelle Rooke

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Published Sep 21, in Sports

For nearly a decade, Coach Noelle Rooke has repeatedly taken Mercer Volleyball into the Atlantic Sun tournament, and she has reached her 200th win as a head coach. She has taken the Bears to new heights and onto the cusp of greatness. Former Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year sat down with The Cluster and talked about her influences and legacy at Mercer.

The Cluster: Simply put, why volleyball?
Coach Noelle Rooke: Volleyball is a fun, fast-paced and exciting game to both play and watch.

TC: Why did you decide to coach?
NR: My college volleyball coach is actually the one who saw the attributes in me that she thought would make up a good coach and she is the reason why I got a head coaching job right out of college. I was also influenced by my dad, who was a high school football coach for 20 years, so I have been around the coaching profession all my life and have a passion for educating, teaching and giving back in a coach’s way.
TC: Who are your influences, whether it be in coaching or just life in general?
NR: My biggest influence right now is my husband, who is also a coach, and since we are in the same profession we are able to support each other and bounce ideas, tactics and game plans off of each other. He is also the best person I know and he makes me want to be a better person every day! As stated above, my dad and my college volleyball coach are also my biggest influences; however, I try to surround myself with colleagues and mentors who teach me and push me to grow every step of the way.

TC: What did you study in college?
NR: I majored in Psychology and minored in both Sociology and Criminology and I definitely use my major within my profession.
TC: How do you want to be remembered at Mercer?
NR: When my coaching career is complete at Mercer, I would like to be known for leaving the program better than it was when I got here, for having a 100 percent graduation rate, and hopefully for being a good role model for my young ladies to be upstanding people as well as student-athletes.

TC: What is your philosophy behind coaching?
NR: My philosophy is that hard work equals reward. I like to set the precedent that you have to work for everything in life and that nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. Also that honesty is the best policy.
TC: What is your favorite quote?
NR: I have several…
“I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand” – Confucius
“You don’t know unless you go”
“You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing” – Ben Franklin
“Ability is what you’re capable of doing; Motivation determines what you do; Attitude determines how well you do it” – Lou Holtz

TC: What do you think of sand volleyball?
NR: I love sand volleyball. I was born and raised in Southern California so I played sand volleyball before I ever stepped foot indoors. I think that if every indoor player played sand first, it would make them more of a well-rounded and better all-around player because sand volleyball forces you to do everything, whereas indoor volleyball is more specialized and positional.
TC: Should Mercer field a men’s team in volleyball?
NR: I wish Mercer had a men’s volleyball team because my women’s team would benefit so much from practicing and playing against men. The issue is that there are very few NCAA Division I Men’s Volleyball teams, so it would be a lot of traveling, which means a big budget would be needed; and right now Mercer needs to focus on taking care of the sports we currently have.

Coach Rooke clearly loves what she does and lets it show when she is on the sidelines with her girls on the volleyball court. Watch her in her most comfortable environment as she continues to guide the volleyball squad this season.

Men’s basketball dominant in A-Sun run

Mercer's hot streak helps team jockey for A-Sun tournament

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Published Feb 23, in Sports

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff) Mercer’s Justin Cecil attempts to dunk between two Florida Gulf Coast defenders in a recent home win against the Eagles.

The bad news Bears that were vying for the eighth and final spot a month ago are on the hottest streak in the Atlantic Sun, winning seven of their last ten games and nine of their last twelve. After devastating midseason injuries to guard Jeff Smith and forward Brandon Moore, the Bears have shown resilience under head coach Bob Hoffman in their ascension in the conference standings.  It’s a winning streak they hope to carry through to the Atlantic Sun tournament, hosted once again in Macon at the University Center March 2-5.

 Mercer 72, Stetson 62 OT

The beginning looked bleak as Mercer’s oldest rivals pulled out a 21-10 lead midway through the first half. However, Brian Mills carried the team after a slow start to tie the Hatters 25-25 at halftime. Both teams tried to mount significant leads in the second half, but to no avail.  With the Hatters leading by one point with 28 seconds left, freshman Bud Thomas had a chance to win the game but missed one of two free throws and then another two free throws to take the game to overtime.  

In overtime, Jake Gollon contributed seven points and six rebounds in Mercer’s rout of the Hatters in the five extra minutes to push Mercer towards another Atlantic Sun victory. Mark Hall carried Mercer through the night though with 23 points off of a 4-for-9 performance from the perimeter. Mills would finish with 21 points and eight rebounds while Gollon would chip in 14 points.

“Mark Hall was awesome tonight,” said head coach Bob Hoffman on MercerBears.com.  “He got every loose ball and the ones he didn’t Jake Gollon got.  It was a huge win and it was a great team win with our guys staying focused,” he added.

 Mercer 74, FGCU 61

The Bears throttled out to a quick start, building a 20-point first-half lead on the Eagles, only to fight off a late comeback during the second half. Florida Gulf Coast would tie the game at the 7:04 mark in the second half, but timely baskets from Brian Mills would prove beneficial to the Bears as the Douglasville senior amassed a team-high 22 points on the night.

Free throws were critical and the Bears cashed in from the charity stripe, knocking down 21-for-29 in the second half to seal the game. Justin Cecil scored 14 points as teammates Mark Hall (12 points) and Bud Thomas (10 points) also had hot hands on offense.

 Mercer 57, Kenn. State 55

In the biggest rivalry of recent years, it came down to one shot. With 9.5 seconds remaining, Bud Thomas inbounded to Langston Hall who then passed it back to Thomas on the right side of the court. A streaking Brian Mills caught the ensuing bounce pass to deposit it for the go-ahead score in an intense and physical game with the A-Sun neighbors from Atlanta. KSU’s Markeith Cummings (30 points) would miss a desperation three-pointer, allowing Mercer to punch another postseason ticket to the A-Sun tournament.

“Coach kept telling us to ‘believe, believe in each other,’” Mills said after the game.  “We’ve made it this far with each other. We called the play and Bud (Thomas) made an unbelievable pass and it worked,” he added.

In the thriller, it was a tale of two halves, of which Mercer controlled the first. However, the Bears hung on late despite a 54.5 percent shooting percentage from the Owls in the second half to win their ninth conference game of the season.  

 Mercer 78, North Florida 75

Moving quickly up the standings, the Bears’ trip to Jacksonville was anything but easy.  With both teams pulling out small leads in the first half and a tie at the break, Brian Mills had another legendary game with a career-high 34 points to lead Mercer to a win. With their backcourt in foul trouble (Thomas, Hall and Chris Smith would all eventually foul out), the big men shouldered the work as Jake Gollon and Justin Cecil provided excellent defense and offensive opportunities in the paint. Once again free throws were crucial as Gollon (2-2) and Mills (12-14) would hit shots down the stretch to give Mercer a cushion at the end.

 Jacksonville 74, Mercer 68

A pesky Dolphins team avenged their early season lose in the University Center with a big win at the Veterans Memorial Arena to snap Mercer’s five-game winning streak. The Bears never led on the night and despite Langston Hall’s 22 points, Mercer simply didn’t have the firepower to stay in the game although they shot 48.9 percent from the field for the game.  Turnovers were the key stat of the night as MU committed 20, their highest total since a Dec. 4 loss to Lipscomb (21).  

Despite the loss, Mercer returns home for their final two games of the regular season as they’ll face Belmont and Lipscomb, two tough opponents, at home before the beginning of the Atlantic Sun tournament March 2-5.