GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Stevenson University women's volleyball team dropped the first set to Messiah College before rallying for a 3-1 win in Middle Atlantic Conference action Wednesday night at Brubaker Auditorium.  The set scores were 26-28, 25-23, 25-15, 25-18.

Stevenson and Messiah have met in the last four MAC Commonwealth championship games, with the Mustangs winning each times.

The Mustangs (4-2, 1-0) were paced by sophomore Moriah Savage and her 11 kills.  Junior Lauren Weaver had 10 kills on .404 hitting, while classmate Annika Schwartz added nine kills and nine digs.  Defensively, junior Deanna Bradbury led the way with 27 digs, while senior Kristen Brooks added 10.  Senior Sara Bollinger recorded 26 assists, with freshman Julie Nightwine adding 14.

Messiah (4-1, 0-1) was led by Jane Underman's 10 kills.

Stevenson trailed 22-18 in the first set before reeling off four straight points, including kills by Savage and freshman Victoria Prokic, to tie the set 22-22 before a Kristen Douglas kill swung serve back to the Falcons.  The Mustangs got the next two points and were serving for set point, but a setting error tied things again 24-24.  The two teams alternated the next four points before two straight for the hosts gave them the opening frame.

In the second set, the Mustangs held a 21-17 lead before three straight points pulled Messiah within one.  Following an attack error that gave serve back to the guests, a Savage kill made it 23-20.  Messiah would pull within one, 24-23, and serving to tie the match, but a kill by senior Kelsey Stave knotted the match 1-1.

Stevenson hit .241 in the third set while limiting Messiah to .000 hitting as it cruised 25-15 to take a 2-1 lead.  Trailing 8-7, the Mustangs rattled off six straight points, including a pair of service aces by junior Megan Hren, to build a 13-8 lead.  Stevenson took advantage of eight Messiah attack errors as well as four service aces in the frame.

The Mustangs hit a match-high .278 in the final set with 15 kills while the Falcons had just six kills hitting at an .097 clip.  Stevenson never trailed and opened up a 17-8 lead following a kill by Brooks.  Back-to-back Messiah errors closed out the match.

Stevenson hit .197 as a team while limiting the Falcons to .097 hitting. 

The Mustangs return to action Friday with two matches at the Lynchburg Invitational, facing Maryville (Tenn.) at 5:00 pm before squaring off with the host Hornets at 7:00.