COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus Women's Volleyball team opened their 2026 season with a straight set sweep (25-14, 25-8, 25-19) over Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday night at Helfferich Hall in
Grace Sullivan's first match as head coach.
A pair of first-years in their collegiate debuts led the Bears in kills as
Nayda Bookman and
Madison Small tallied nine apiece. Sophomore
Lauren McGinn finished with eight kills and nine digs while junior
Molly Stevenson added eight kills plus eight digs. Sophomore
Mackenzie Nardone paced the Bears offense with 16 assists and junior
Kayce Titus compiled 14 assists, eight digs, and four aces. Senior
Alexa Mazzeo led the Bears with 12 digs while adding five assists.
The Bears fell behind 4-1 in the first set before winning four of the next five points to tie the set at five. Gwynedd Mercy won the next point and the Bears took over from there by taking seven of the next nine points to go up 12-8. Ursinus led 13-10 and won 11 of the next 14 points to take command of the set at 24-13. A kill from Small ended the set two points later at 25-14.
Ursinus took an early 4-2 advantage in the second set and completely dominated the rest of the way after leading 4-3. Ursinus won six straight points to go up 10-3 and another six straight points after back-to-back points from the Griffins to go up 16-5. Ursinus won eight of the last nine points after leading 17-7 and hit .458 as a team in the set compared to the Griffins at -013.
The Bears ripped off four straight points after the Griffins won the first point to go up 4-1, but the Griffins had their most competitive set of the night by tying the set right back up at four. The Bears won six of the next eight points to go up 10-6 before the Griffins won four of the next five to cut the lead down to 11-10. Ursinus won six of the next nine points to maintain their lead at 17-13 and took control of the set by ripping off five straight points to go up 22-15 and forcing a timeout. The Griffins made a late run by getting within 22-18 before a pair of kills from Small and one last one by Stevenson end the match.
Ursinus returns to action on Friday, September 4
th as they will play in the Elizabethtown Tri-Match with matches against York at 5:00 p.m. and the host Blue Jays at 7:00 p.m.
