BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Three Cannoneers finished with double-digit kills as the Pratt Institute women's volleyball team closed its regular season Saturday afternoon, falling in a tight five-set match to Gwynedd Mercy University, 26-24, 16-25, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13, on Saturday at the Activity Resource Center in a preview of a first-round playoff matchup next week. 

Gwynedd Mercy (4-21, 2-5 Atlantic East) claimed the opening set after breaking away from an early tie. The Griffins used a four-point service run from Macie Ferla to build a 7-3 lead and later stretched the cushion to 14-7. Pratt (9-12, 3-4 Atlantic East) mounted an extended comeback, using a four-point service run by Eleanor Peck (Andover, Mass.) — including two aces — to level the score at 22-22. A service ace from Kelsy Padilla (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned the Cannoneers a set point at 24-23, but the Griffins answered with three straight points to close out the 26-24 decision.

Pratt leveled the match in the second set behind an offense that hit .273 with 14 kills. Ahead 10-7, the Cannoneers pulled away behind a 5-0 service run from Padilla, who dealt two aces during the stretch to widen the gap to 19-9 before Pratt closed out the 25-16 win. The Griffins responded in the third frame, breaking an 8-8 tie with an 8-0 surge served by Marley Robbins to open a 16-8 cushion on their way to a 25-18 victory.

The fourth set featured 12 ties and six lead changes down the stretch. Trailing 21-18, the Cannoneers drew even at 21-21 and 23-23 on kills from Jamie Shoemake (La Crescenta, Calif.). After Gwynedd Mercy earned a match point at 25-24, Pratt erased it on a service error and followed with a Joanna Doyle (Warren, N.H.) solo block to hold set point at 26-25. Following another tie at 26-26, Colleen Russell (Asbury, N.J.) delivered a kill and the Griffins committed an attack error, giving Pratt a 28-26 win to force a fifth frame.

Pratt raced to a 7-2 lead in the deciding fifth set behind two aces from Emma Hwang (Dallas, Texas) and kills from Padilla and Alison Sontag (Manhasset, N.Y.). The Cannoneers maintained a 13-10 cushion after a kill by Hwang, but Gwynedd Mercy answered with five unanswered points behind the serving of Addisyn De Leon to complete the 15-13 win.

Russell paced the attack with 15 kills, six digs, and two block assists. Shoemake and Padilla each collected 11 kills, with Shoemake hitting .364 and Padilla adding six digs and three aces. Hwang recorded a double-double with 41 assists, 13 digs, seven kills on .538 hitting, and four aces. Doyle contributed five kills and a team-high five blocks (one solo block and four block assists), Gabriella Prieto (Amityville, N.Y.) posted a team-best 14 digs, and Peck dealt five service aces.

Pratt finished the afternoon with 53 kills on.218 hitting, with 15 service aces, and 51 digs. Gwynedd Mercy countered with 46 kills on .194 hitting, with 15 service aces, and six total blocks.

Kate Etter led the Griffins with 11 kills and 15 digs, while Cameron Hnat added 10 kills. Ferla and Brynn Crooks shared setting duties, distributing 20 and 19 assists, respectively.

Pratt and Gwynedd Mercy meet again in three days when the No. 4 seed Cannoneers host the No. 5 seed Griffins in the first round of the 2026 Atlantic East Women's Volleyball Championship on Tuesday, Nov. 10. First serve from the ARC is at 7 p.m.