Gwynedd Valley, Pa. - (10/17/2024) - Gwynedd Mercy University (13-7) won a pivotal second set, 25-19, and fended off Delaware Valley University (7-13) in the third set, 25-23, and fourth set, 25-21, for a thrilling 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21) victory over the Aggies. Fifth-year outside hitter Bria Purnell (Reading, Pa.) triggered the Griffin mojo, as she scored 23.0 points (20 kills, 3 aces), hit .204 (20K-9E-54TA), and dug 15 balls in the match. Junior setter Ayanna Gaston (Middletown, Del.) aided the triumph with two kills, 47 assists, three aces, a block assist, and 11 digs.

During the month of October – recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month – the Gwynedd Mercy University field hockey, women's volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse teams will be partnering with METAvivor for a series of Breast Cancer Awareness Games. Dubbed "Griffins Go Pink", the initiative is dedicated to the specific fight of women and men living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. At the time of METAvivor's founding, no organization was dedicated to funding research for the disease and no patient groups were speaking out about the dearth of stage 4 cancer research. While more and more people have taken up the cry for more stage 4 research, METAvivor remains the sole US organization dedicated to awarding annual stage 4 breast cancer research. Interested parties can learn more about the organization and how they can further support the cause by using the provided links.

Griffin Highlights

• Gwynedd Mercy University improved on their hitting percentage in each set, improving from a .081 (10K-7E-37TA) mark in the first set to a .095 (10K-6E-42TA) mark in the second set, a .277 (19K-6E-47TA) in the third, and a .297 (14K-3E-37TA) in the fourth.
• The Griffins totaled nine aces; in addition to Purnell and Gaston, junior defensive specialist Amanada Lopez (Houston, Texas) also spotted three aces.
• Junior middle hitter Charlotte Pugh (Philadelphia, Pa.) matched her career and season-highs with 11 kills. She also recorded three assists, two block assists, and 15 digs.
• Sophomore outside hitter Kate Etter (Chambersburg, Pa.) led the five Griffins in double-digit digs with a team-high 16. She also recorded six kills, an assist, and two block assists.
• Freshman libero Annalise Kuppel (Estell Manor, N.J.) was the fifth with 13 digs. She also offered an assist.

Gwynedd Mercy University competes next on Saturday, October 19, when they visit Rutgers-Newark for a tri-match with the hosting Scarlet Raiders (3:00 p.m.) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) - Florham (1:00 p.m.).