Mercer volleyball looks to get past the .500 mark in their first matches of Southern Conference play on Friday and Saturday in Hawkins Arena against The Citadel. The Bears have been up and down early in the season, sitting at 6-6 in head coach Steve Benson’s second season after going 10-20 last year. They are 2-2 at home and 2-2 on the road, and recently finished a homestand at the Mercer Invitational last week, going 1-2.
Mercer ranked ninth out of ten teams in the SoCon Preseason Poll, but have had remained at even through non-conference play. East Tennessee State University, Wofford College and Furman University were heavy favorites to win the conference that also added a newcomer in Tennessee Tech University.
The Bears' front row has been the story of the season. Avery Wilks '27 is a middle blocker who sets the tone for the front row and provides a veteran presence in the locker room. Wilks has recorded 104 kills with a .206 hitting percentage. She has 31 total blocks for the year, tied for first on the Bears.
Joselynn Sanjurjo '28 also has 31 blocks for the season and is another key piece to the front row for the Mercer Bears. She has recorded 99 kills and a .291 hitting percentage, good for first on the team.
Sophomore Lara Matta has also been a key contributor for the Bears, registering 148 kills, leading Mercer. Matta is currently top five in the SoCon in kills per set, boosting a Bears team that has struggled offensively this season.
Defensively, the Bears have been solid, ranking top three in the conference in blocks, but face another defensive-minded team in the Bulldogs. The Citadel, the only team to rank below the Bears in the Preseason Poll, have a middling offense who currently ranks last in kills in the conference. They have struggled to start the season and currently sit at 3-9. They come into Friday’s matchup on a three-game losing streak.
Luci Lippelgoos, 28, has been a bright spot on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs; she is a middle blocker and has tallied 82 kills, averaging about two per set. Lippelgoos also leads the team in blocks with 26.
The Bulldogs' outside hitters have had a comparatively strong start to the season. Rachel Reininger leads the Bulldogs with 120 kills and just over two per set, and Jordyn Sims is second with 88 kills and 2.55 per set. Sims also has 22 total blocks for the season.
Mercer Head Coach Steve Benson is in his 23rd season as a coach and second at Mercer, while Citadel head coach Dave Zelenock enters his ninth season with the Bulldogs.
Mercer has taken advantage of its matchups against the Citadel, having won the last five games against the Bulldogs.
After The Citadel, the Bears will face newcomers Tennessee Tech, Samford University and the University of North Carolina--Greensboro in Hawkins Arena.
