OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Led by 37 digs by Most Valuable Player Samantha Perillo, the top-seeded Stevenson women's volleyball team rallied to defeat third-seeded Messiah in five sets to claim its third-straight Commonwealth Conference Championship Saturday afternoon at Owings Mills Gymnasium.

With the win, the Mustangs (29-5) earned a bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship for the fourth consecutive year. The team is also just win shy of posting 30 wins for the fourth-straight season.

Perillo finished with 52 digs and eight service aces in two tournament games and surpassed the 2,500 digs mark for her career while moving into second place all time with 200 career service aces. She is nine shy of tying the record set by Jessica Bensley '06.

Trailing 17-13 in the first set, Stevenson finished on a 12-1 run including three-straight kills by freshman Annika Schwartz, senior Megan Miller and sophomore Sara Bollinger. Schwartz totaled five kills in the set.

After a back-and-forth second set, the Falcons (26-8) won five of the final six points after four attack errors by the Mustangs. During that set, Stevenson totaled a -.048 hitting percentage.

Down two sets to one and trailing 20-15 in the fourth set, the Mustangs went on a 10-3 run highlighted by three kills and a solo block by sophomore Kristen Brooks to send the championship to a decisive fifth set.

Stevenson continued its run by winning the first three points of the fifth set with two kills by Schwartz. The Mustangs would take a 10-4 lead before Messiah rallied to within two twice, including 14-13 after the Falcons trailed by three on match point.

But a kill by Schwartz sealed the championship for Stevenson who has yet to drop a match versus Commonwealth Conference opponents in three seasons in the league. It was the third-straight year the Mustangs defeated the Falcons to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

All-Commonwealth Conference First Team selections, Jane Underman and Kristen Douglas led the Falcons as they combined for 34 kills, 41 digs and four total blocks.

The selection show for the 2014 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship will be this Monday, November 11 at 11:00 a.m., live on NCAA.com.