Links: Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball team won its first Northeast Conference (NEC) set on Saturday evening, forcing a fourth frame at Fairleigh Dickinson in a match played at the Knights' Rothman Center. The Warriors battled back from a 2-0 deficit (25-20, 25-14) to win the third set, 25-22, and play on into the fourth. Merrimack hung with FDU, but the hosts prevailed, 25-18, to win the match in four.

Senior Catherine Flaherty shattered her previous career high in digs with a career-best 26 on Saturday. Fellow captain and classmate Rosie Sperduto did the same, totaling a career-high 25 digs to go along with 22 assists, her second double-double of NEC play.

The Basics
Score: FDU 3, Merrimack 1 (25-20 | 25-14 | 22-25 | 25-18)
Records: Merrimack (1-15, 0-9 NEC) | Fairleigh Dickinson (2-20, 1-7 NEC)
Location: Hackensack, N.J. | Rothman Center     

Set Breakdown:

• FDU started the first set well, winning 10 of the first 13 points. Merrimack responded with a 7-3 spurt, cutting its deficit to three at 13-10. Later in the set and facing a 19-14 hole, the Knights won four straight points to move within two of winning the set. The Warriors clawed back, however, compiling a 4-0 stretch of their own, headlined by 1.5 points each for Flaherty and sophomore Kayla Zinser. The team's split the final four points, giving the Knights a 25-20 win
• Freshman Taylor Sawyer hit a kill that put Merrimack in front, 5-4, in the second frame. Flaherty continued to play well, hitting a kill that kept Merrimack ahead by one (10-9), and another to pull the Warriors back within one, 12-11, after FDU retook the advantage. From there, however, the Knights surged forward, ending the set on a 13-3 run
• The Warriors turned the third set around via a 6-0 run that turned a three-point deficit (10-7) into a three-point lead (13-10). Sawyer totaled two kills while Flaherty and freshman Emily Adams had one each. FDU recovered to move ahead by one, 17-16, but the Warriors rattled off three straight to move in front, 19-17. Merrimack reached set point at 24-20 after a point for sophomore Natasha Vallis, and won the set on a rare kill for freshman libero Taelyr Czech
• Merrimack kept its scorching play going, starting the last set on an 8-3 run. Merrimack's lead held at 13-11, but the Knights won six straight points to flip the momentum. FDU did not trail the rest of the night, winning six of the final eight points to stake a 25-18 victory to end the match

Notes & Notables

• Sawyer entered the night with 19 kills the entire season before erupting for 12 against the Knights.
• Flaherty enjoyed a well-rounded performance. In addition to her career high in digs, she added eight kills on a team-best 43 attacks, four block assists and 10.0 total points
• Sperduto registered her seventh performance with at least 20 assists this season. Sophomore Megan Rumenapp joined her as a distributor dishing out 15 helpers of her own
• Czech finished third on the team with 16 digs while adding five assists
• Merrimack's 95 digs were the most in a single match for the Warriors since 2016 when the Warriors totaled 113 against Southern New Hampshire

Up Next:
Merrimack visits Sacred Heart on Tuesday at 6 p.m., traveling to the Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn. for NEC action.