By Draven Dabrowski
Sports Writer
The Owls pushed their win streak to seven, improving to 11-3 overall on the season with a dominant 3-0 victory over Saint Michael’s University on Oct. 14, in Pelz Gymnasium.
This match served as an osteosarcoma awareness game in honor of former Mercer University volleyball alum Aliyah Waldon, who passed away four weeks ago after losing her battle with osteosarcoma, a friend of outside hitter Lauren Dumont, a sophomore.
“This win was super special,” outside hitter Ceci Carter, a graduate, said. “Last week, they dedicated the game to my friend, so I am glad we were able to get a win at home in dedication to Lauren’s friend.”
The opening set was tightly contested, with both the Owls and the Purple Knights trading points, as neither side led by more than three through the first 20 rallies.
The Purple Knights capitalized on a few early errors to stay close, but once the Owls found their rhythm behind strong serving from outside hitter Kerrigan Habing, a sophomore, and powerful swings from setter Kimi Mitchell, a freshman, momentum shifted in the Owls’ favor.
A 9-1 run at the end of the set broke the tie, and the Owls closed out the set 25-15 to establish control of the match.
In the second set, the Owls jumped out to a quick lead behind early kills from Carter and libero Sarah Henault, a junior, but the Purple Knights fought back midway to cut the deficit to three.
After a timeout by Head Coach Lisa Barbaro, the university regrouped and regained control, with a kill by right-side hitter Sydney Bennett, a senior, and an attack error by Saint Michael’s Anna Daggett, giving the Owls the second set win by a score of 25-20.
Barbaro said she used the timeout to give the team a breather.
“I told them to stay within themselves. We struggled against Assumption in that same way, so I just wanted them to breathe and stay within themselves,” Barbaro said.
By the third set, the Owls’ energy was evident. There were strides of momentum shifting back and forth between Saint Michael’s and the Owls, but in the end, the Purple Knights struggled to keep up with the university’s offensive rhythm and defensive coverage.
The university closed out the final set 25-18, securing its seventh consecutive win.
For the Owls, Habing had another big game, getting 15 kills and 10 digs. Carter was not far behind, getting six kills of her own and two assists.
“Our passing was phenomenal today,” Carter said. “With a pass, you can do anything, as you can see with our win today.”
The Owls hit .126 while holding Saint Michael’s to just .043. They tallied 39 kills to 22 from the Purple Knights and recorded eight service aces, continuing to show consistency and balance across all positions.
The match capped off another strong all-around performance for the team, as the team’s awareness night also highlighted its consistency on both ends of the floor.
The Owls maintained composure from start to finish, controlling the pace and executing when it mattered most.
“We’re looking forward to our next game,” Habing said. “It was a good team win tonight, and hopefully we can keep that momentum going forward.
