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EAST STROUDSBURG – After completing an undefeated PSAC-opening weekend on Saturday, East Stroudsburg University's volleyball student-athletes have taken the program to heights not seen since before they were born.

Junior Sarah Smith totaled 16 kills and 13 digs, while fellow junior Sam Dunphy added seven kills, seven digs and eight blocks to lift the Warriors to a 3-1 victory over Mercyhurst at Koehler Fieldhouse. Set scores were 27-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-15.

ESU (12-2, 2-0 PSAC) is now off to its best start after 14 games since the 1996 team ended the year with a final record of 32-2. The Warriors also avenged a pair of five-set defeats over the past two seasons to the Lakers (6-9, 1-1 PSAC).

The win did not come easy, as each of the opening two sets went down to the wire. ESU trailed 24-22 in Set 1 before going on a 5-1 run, highlighted by a Smith kill and a block by Dunphy and redshirt sophomore Trea-sure Ketter, to jump in front.

Neither team led by more than three points throughout the entirety of the second set. A Ketter kill put the Warriors ahead for good at 22-21, and kills by freshman Kailyn Pyle and senior Tina Predojevic secured ESU's 2-0 set advantage.

Pyle delivered another strong performance with nine kills (.350 attack percentage) and six blocks, while Predojevic supplied 39 assists, six digs, five blocks and two aces. The Warriors once again controlled play at the net, out-blocking Mercyhurst by a 15.5 to 4.0 margin.

The Lakers registered their best team attack percentage (.214) in the third set to extend the match, but ESU ran out to a 19-10 lead in the fourth and wrapped up the win shortly afterwards.

Smith's team-high 16 kills were backed by a .286 hitting percentage, as she eclipsed 25 percent for a 12th time in 14 matches on the year. The double-double was her sixth of the season and 25th of her ESU career.

Dunphy's eight block assists were a new career high. The Warriors also received six kills and eight digs from freshman Caylinn Davis in her most-extensive action of the season thus far.

Katie Baird (14 kills, 10 digs) was the lone player to reach double-digit kills for the visitors. ESU earned the program's third ever win over Mercyhurst, and the first since a five-set home victory in 2012.

The Warriors take on the other two PSAC Northwest division teams next weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. road matchup at Edinboro on Friday night.