Volleyball off to 1-6 start through Brawl

Despite much early season preparation, the Mercer Bears volleyball team is 1-6 overall, having snapped a six-match losing streak to start the season with a great win over Norfolk State to close out Mercer’s Bear Brawl.
Senior Charlotte Harris is currently third in the Atlantic Sun in both total digs and digs per set with 109 total and 4.74 per set. This puts her at 996 digs overall, and at her current pace, she should break into the thousands during the first set of the opening match of the Georgia Tech Regency Suites Invitational against Samford on Friday, Sept. 9. Also in Atlantic Sun play, junior Jamie Duffy is currently ninth in digs per set with 3.62 and eighth with 76 digs. Junior Monica Sanchez is ninth in the Atlantic Sun for assists per set at 6.57, and she is sixth in total assists with 151. Despite the conditioning efforts by Coach Rooke and her new assistants, the Mercer volleyball squad’s rough start was almost brokered into possibility by the tough schedule. The trial by fire for the team is not over anytime soon, as the Atlantic Sun play is fast approaching with the two-time defending champ Lipscomb coming to the University Center.
Mercer’s hitting percentage through seven matches is ninth in the conference at .099, but they are leading the league in limiting their opponent’s hitting percentage by a large amount at .176. Mercer is also second in blocks per set in the Atlantic Sun at 1.65. Mercer is outperforming the best teams in the league in several statistical categories, as that must be maintained if they are to perform well against Georgia Tech and Atlantic Sun play.
As for recent results, Mercer dropped five-straight matches 3-0 to open the season. Davidson (a future conference member of Mercer’s football team), Winthrop, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Georgia Southern, and Troy all blasted the Bears with stellar play. Per the Bears’ outperformance, Mercer gained valuable game experience. Tennessee State overcame a 2-1 deficit to win the second game of the Bear Brawl against the Bears.
Anna Coursey received all-Bear Brawl honors for her dominating display of athleticism, including helping lead the Bears to their win over Norfolk State. She had eighteen kills and nine blocks in three matches. “I’m extremely proud of Anna’s steady court play and how she did her job consistently all weekend long. She deserved and earned a spot on the all tournament team,” Coach Noelle Rooke told the Mercer Bears’ athletics website. The first set was the only one that really mattered, as the 10 ties and three lead changes led to a solid Mercer victory there, as the Bears only trailed twice the rest of the match.
Mercer is next in action in Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Invitational. Their next home match is Sept. 13 against Georgia State.