In a match Marist needed to win to maintain standing in the race for a MAAC Tournament spot, the Red Foxes rebounded after a first set loss to win 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-19, 25-23) against the Merrimack Warriors.
Marist entered Friday night in a three-way tie with Siena and Cansius for fifth in the MAAC at 4-3. Canisius took down the 5-2 Rider Broncs and Siena lost to Quinnipiac, meaning with their win over Merrimack, the Red Foxes now sit in a three-way tie for fourth place; as it stands, Marist currently occupies a playoff spot.
“We know the MAAC is super tight right now… every set counts,” said graduate student setter Claire Lewis. “Every set counts, so coming in here and winning [tonight] was a top priority, obviously.”
Lewis totaled 29 assists, 10 digs and three aces, leading the offense to late set success in the second and fourth sets. Marist had four hitters swing for 13+ kills, with three of them being freshmen: right side hitters Ava Lanzetta and Eleana Koute, as well as outside hitter Mallory Reck. Junior outside hitter Sara Dasic rounded out the double-digit crew, finishing with 14 kills of her own.
“We were really motivated to win all week,” Reck added. “We knew we had to get higher up in the standings.”
Outside of its outside hitters, Marist struggled offensively in its past two losses, which broke a five-game winning streak. The Red Foxes brought a more versatile attack against Merrimack, highlighted by Koute and Lanzetta’s big nights. Both set career highs in kills; Lanzetta tallied 14 on a stellar .417 hitting percentage and Koute ended the match with 13.
“When we get the ball inside of three feet to the right sides, they’re very good,” said head coach Sean Byron. “We were good at getting the ball tight to the net with the right sides [tonight].”
Following a disappointing weekend in Fairfield, where Marist only won one set in two matches, the Red Foxes desperately needed a strong start on Friday night. They got exactly that; Marist won the first six points of the match, thanks in large part to strong serving from junior libero CC Potter-Pessoa, who scored two quick aces.
Merrimack head coach Ken Nichols burned an early timeout, which successfully halted Marist’s momentum. The Warriors chipped away, eventually tying the set at ten.
After grabbing its first lead at 13-12, Merrimack did not let the Red Foxes take it back, despite four instances where Marist fought back to tie the score. The Warriors utilized an efficient, well-balanced attack on their way to a 25-22 first-set victory.
As a team, Merrimack swung for a .303 hitting percentage and had four different players kill three or more balls. While sophomore outside Mckenna Shotwell led the team with four kills, freshman opposite hitter Jocelyn Hammerstrand punished the Red Foxes, converting on all three of her swings.
The Warriors struggled on offense in the second set, but it did not matter. Despite their -.133 hitting percentage, Merrimack took a 16-12 lead – they scored almost exclusively on Marist mistakes.
The Red Foxes continued to sail attacks out of bounds, while Merrimack made them look silly in serve and receive. The Warriors landed seven aces in the set alone, preventing Marist from finding any rhythm on offense.
“We knew we were the better team,” said Lewis. “We were up 6-0 in the first set, so we knew we had it in us.”
Marist hung around, clawing back to knot the score at 23. Each side fought off a few set points, as Reck and sophomore pin hitter Aubrey Baker both banged two clutch kills. Tied at 27, sophomore middle blocker Savannah Smith picked the perfect time to convert on her first kill of the night.
While the Red Foxes ran out of substitutions, which forced Lewis to stay in the front row, Reck finally ended the set by punching a set from Potter-Pessoa through the block.
“I wish… I was ready,” laughed Lewis about the possibility of being set as a hitter. “I would have gotten a kill.”
Merrimack bounced back quickly after the crushing late set loss, quickly putting the pressure on Marist by going up 9-4. In one of their most important matches of the season so far – and at the moment of truth in the match – the Red Foxes responded massively.
Marist rattled off a 9-2 run, pulling the set and match in their favor. They fired on all cylinders: the Red Foxes hit an astounding .391 in the set, redshirt junior middle blocker Mikayla Keefer stuffed two attacks on defense and Marist served four aces. Marist went on to win 25-19, taking a crucial 2-1 advantage.
The Warriors and Red Foxes traded brief runs throughout the duration of the fourth set, ultimately evenly splitting the first 46 points. At 23 all, Marist flexed its muscles with the match hanging in the balance.
Koute ripped a thunderous kill and let out a roar as soon as the ball hit the floor. On the ensuing point, Reck denied an attack from junior opposite hitter Ella Gizmunt to win the match. The Red Foxes stormed the floor, and Lewis jumped into Reck’s arms.
“We were just having fun,” Lewis said regarding Marist’s late set success. “No one was really stressed; we were just doing what we do and not putting any pressure on it.”
Marist has an opportunity for a statement win on Saturday when it plays host to Quinnipiac. The Bobcats won the MAAC title in 2022, and have finished as the runner-up to Fairfield in each of the last two seasons – they currently rank third in the MAAC with a 6-2 conference record.
Edited by Nate Shoemaker
Graphic by Eugene Barbieri
Photo from Quinn DiFiore
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