The 2024 fall semester was one for the record books at mercy university, as the mavericks excelled both in the classroom and in competition.
Athletes Shine on and Off the Field
The Athletic Department set a new school record with a 3.58 GPA, showcasing the dedication of its student-athletes. An impressive 40 student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 193 out of 238 recorded a GPA of 3.25 or higher. For the third consecutive year, the Mavericks earned the NCAA Division II Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ also recorded a remarkable 92 percent Academic Success Rate (ASR), ranking 12th among 312 Division II institutions. Additionally, men’s soccer set a new standard with four players named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans — the most from any Division II school and the highest number of Academic All-Americans in one sport in school history. Across all sports, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ totaled 16 CSC Academic All-District selections.
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ Teams Continue to Impress
The volleyball team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, reaching the ECC Championship Final for the first time since 2005 and finishing with their best record in nearly two decades (16 wins). Both men’s and women’s soccer teams advanced to the ECC Championship Semifinals, with men’s soccer posting a 9–3–5 record and achieving a national ranking as high as No. 10 on October 8. Women’s soccer finished with a strong 10–8–2 record, making their 11th straight appearance in the ECC Championship Semifinals. Meanwhile, field hockey narrowly missed out on the NE10 Championship, closing their season with six wins.
Players Making History
Women’s basketball was ranked first in the ECC Preseason Poll for the first time in program history, while senior Jaclyn Stanavich was named Preseason Player of the Year. After a breakthrough NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024 — their first since 1985 — the team started the new campaign strong, sitting at 9–6 overall and 3–2 in ECC play as of January 14, aiming for their fifth straight ECC Championship berth. Men’s basketball has its best ECC start since the 2002-03 season, posting a 3–2 record in conference play and doubling their win total from the previous year. The team is seeking its first ECC Championship qualification under the current format since 2016.
Shining Achievements
Across all sports, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ athletes collected 20 ECC All- Conference honors, nine All-Region selections, and multiple Player of the Year awards. Junior Johannes Hanken Tjostheim of men’s soccer was named a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American after tying the school’s single-season goal record with 22 and leading the team with 50 points. Graduate student Julia Pomerleau of volleyball earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention with 247 kills, a team-high 87 blocks and a .402 hitting percentage. Other standout award winners included ECC Offensive Player of the Year Johannes Hanken Tjostheim, ECC Defensive Player of the Year Julian Holland (men’s soccer), ECC Setter of the Year Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (volleyball) and ECC Rookie of the Year Grace Dilena (volleyball).
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