MACON, Ga. – A solid start and tough defensive play by the Jacksonville University volleyball team provided a solid foundation for the Dolphins on the final day of the Mercer Bears Classic, but JU ultimately fell to the host Bears, 3-1, Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.  

"We started strong; we were ready from the start of the first set. Defensively, we got it done today," stated head coach Evan Muys. "Between our serving, blocking, and floor defense, we were neck and neck with them."

Jacksonville (1-7) saw another standout performance from sophomore Hannah Marchand, who finished the day with a team-high four blocks, including one solo, to bring her weekend total to 15.

Senior Lauren Petersen recorded her second double-double of the year behind 29 assists and 12 digs.

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 7-2 lead behind a 6-0 run with blocks from graduate student Hailey Devlin and Marchand, while junior Mallory Mattingly added a pair of kills. Mercer (7-4) went on to tie the set with a 5-0 run of their own, but Jacksonville held off the Bears and took a 15-11 lead. Coming out of a timeout, Mercer found new momentum behind a 7-2 run to control the set, 18-16, but the Dolphins persisted with seven of the last nine points to win the opening set, 25-22.

A trio of 3-0 runs kept the Dolphins close in game two, but it was 7-0 run from the hosts in the middle of the set that evened up the match, 25-19.

Jacksonville chipped away at Mercer's early 5-1 lead in the third set and came within one, 7-6, but a 5-1 Bear run surged the hosts ahead, 18-12. A four-point rally looked to give the Dolphins hope late down the stretch, but Mercer took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-18 set win.

Game four provided new life to the Dolphins as Jacksonville leapt out to an early 7-3 lead. Despite the Bears tying the set at 7-7, JU swam ahead 8-3 run to forge ahead, 15-10. Mercer found a way to tie the set four more times, the latest at 23-23 in the midst of a 4-0 run to steal the set and match, 25-23.

Devlin finished the day with nine digs, four kills, and two blocks, including one solo, while Mattingly added eight kills, eight digs, three service aces, and one solo block. Junior Natalie Wehner chipped in a team-high 13 digs in the effort.

Added Muys, "We're ready to work on our offense this week as we prepare for our final nonconference weekend. I know we are excited for our first home match on Tuesday."

The Dolphins open action at Swisher Gymnasium on Tuesday, Sept. 11 when they play host to North Dakota at 6 p.m.