OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Seniors Landon Shorts and Jason Gardner along with sophomore Logan Smiley each recorded double-digit kills as the sixth-ranked Stevenson men's volleyball team rallied back after dropping the first set to take down Middle Atlantic Conference foe Messiah College by a 3-1 score on Wednesday night at Owings Mills Gymnasium.  Set scores were 25-27, 25-11, 25-17, and 25-15. 

• Messiah (8-5, 5-1 MAC) started the evening strong with kills for Noah Shreiner, Matt Knab, and Jarred Sands putting the guests in front 4-1.
• Stevenson (15-3, 5-1 MAC) responded strongly as scores by Shorts, Gardner, and Smiley aided an 8-3 push from the hosts to spring ahead 9-7.
• The Falcons continued to hang tough with a kill for Sands closing the gap to 13-12.
• A kill off the hand of Shorts and an ace for Smiley extended the home edge making it 19-15.
• Points earned by Shreiner and Brad Nase kills along with an assisted block between Shreiner and Knab finished a 4-0 flight by the visitors to knot the score 19-19.
• With the two sides still locked at 21-21, a ballhandling error and kills for Smiley and Gardner put the home team a point away from the set 24-22. 
• The Falcons outscored Stevenson 4-1 from that point on as a kill from Shreiner ended the frame 27-25.
• Messiah posted a .265 hitting percentage to the hosts .108 in the set.

• Stevenson took command of the second early on as sophomore Nate Reynolds, junior Kyle Bosko, Gardner, Shorts, and Smiley staked the Mustangs to a sizeable 11-3 lead.
• Consecutive points from Will Webb and Shreiner appeared to stem the tide for the guests trimming it down to 11-5.
• However, the Mustangs answered back with kills for graduate student Christian Taylor, Reynolds, and Shorts made it five straight for the home side extending the score to double-figures 16-5.
• Webb grabbed three in a row for the Falcons cutting the deficit to eight 16-8.
• Shorts, Reynolds, and Gardner coupled with a combination block by Shorts and Gardner led to a 9-3 run for Stevenson to close the set 25-11.
• The Mustangs hit .560 as a team in the second, while Messiah was at -.040.

• The Falcons began the third with a kill apiece from Shreiner and Webb to take a 4-1 edge.
• Stevenson would claim their first lead of the frame with a 5-0 gallop set up by two kills for Smiley and a solo block off the hands of Bosko made it 6-4.
• With the score 7-7, Bosko, Shorts, Taylor and Smiley each recorded a score for a four-point advantage 11-7.
• The Mustangs maintained their distance as a ballhandling error for Nase gave the hosts their largest lead to that point 19-12.
• A kill for Marshall Nixon and Knab along with a Knab solo block gave the visitors three of the next five bringing the margin to 21-15.
• Gardner and Shorts each posted a kill to put the Mustangs at set point 24-15.
• Messiah scored two times before a kill by Bosko took frame number three 25-17.

• The teams shared the first eight points of the frame to be deadlocked 4-4.
• Stevenson opened up a 15-6 lead by outscoring Messiah 11-2 over a 13-point stretch thanks to kills for Bosko, Shorts, Gardner, and Smiley along with a three-man block between Shorts, Reynolds, and Taylor.
• The Falcons pulled within eight 18-10 on a kill for Noah Wilson, but it was answered by three consecutive Smiley kills and a set error by Jared Keul pushing the advantage to 22-10.
• With the home team one-point away from victory at 24-15, Webb served the ball into the net for set and match 25-15.

• The Mustangs outhit the Falcons .345 to .114.
• Stevenson handed out more assists 48-34.
• Messiah held the edge in service aces 6-5.
• The home side totaled 13 blocks to the guests 6.
• Shorts led all players with 15 kills along with nine digs and three blocks.
• Gardner totaled 11 kills and Smiley added 10 finishing off the double-digit kill totals for the Mustangs.
• Taylor had a game-high 39 assists.
• Reynolds posted a team-high four blocks.
• Webb and Shreiner set the pace for Messiah with ten kills each. 
• Nase had 25 helpers for the Falcons.

• Stevenson is back on the court on Friday, March 1 when they welcome Widener University to Owings Mills Gymnasium for a Middle Atlantic Conference contest at 5pm.