MACON, Ga. – Virginia Tech powered past Mercer with a 21-8 win on Saturday afternoon that marked Tech's first road triumph of the season.
Ella Rishko led the Hokies in scoring with five goals, while Kayla Downey paced the field in points with seven via four goals and three assists. Fellow attackers Olivia Vergano and Paige Tyson tacked on three goals apiece, as well.
Tech jumped out early in the first quarter and didn't look back. The sides exchanged a goal early, then the Hokies rattled off eight unanswered scores to claim a 9-1 advantage. Nine goals marked the second-most goals scored in a quarter under Kristen Skiera and the most since scoring 12 against Akron on March 18, 2023.
Mercer picked up momentum towards the end of the first quarter and into the second, scoring four of its eight goals within an 11-minute span. The Hokies again stymied any threat from the hosts by going on a seven-goal run, including four goals in the final four minutes of the first half.
At the break, the Hokies led 15-5 with goal contributions from seven different players.
Tech settled down offensively in the second half, scoring three goals in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. However, the defense settled in, as well, shutting down the Mercer attack totally in the third frame.
After a six-save performance through three quarters by Jocelyn Torres, goalie Lilly Kannapell stepped in to protect the cage for the final 15 minutes.
Another separating factor for Tech was its dominance on the draw, as Vergano and Sarah Gresham teamed up for 19 of the team's 20 draw controls.
Virginia Tech returns home on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to face Queens (N.C.) at Thompson Field.