Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Misericordia University women's volleyball team dropped a pair of tough matches on the opening day of the Moravian Greyhound Invitational, Friday.

The Cougars lost to Grove City, 3-1, and fell to Alvernia, 3-2.

Faith Merritt had 10 kills and eight digs in her collegiate debut in the opener and Jessica Oltman added eight kills.  Fiona Pyfer had nine kills, 11 digs and three aces in her first collegiate match.

Tara Welliver had seven kills and three blocks and Lara May had 36 assists.  Mikayla Gunkle had a team-high 15 digs.

Grove City took the first two sets, 25-16, 25-21, before the Cougars rallied to win 25-22 in the third set.  Grove City clinched the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set.

Against Alvernia, MU won the opener, 25-17, but dropped the second set, 25-23.  The Cougars went back in front with a 25-22 win, but Alvernia pulled even with a 25-21 victory in the fourth set.  The
Crusaders took the deciding set, 15-13.

Pyfer had a team-high 15 kills and Jassmine Watson added 13 kills and 14 digs.

Welliver had nine kills and Oltman had eight and Amanda Curcio added seven.

May had 42 assists.

MU will face Penn State Harrisburg and Moravian, Saturday.