READING, Pa. – Elliot De La Torre, Tanner Stauffer and Tim Flanagan each recorded double-digit kills as the 14th-ranked Stevenson men's volleyball team (10-6, 2-0 MAC) defeated Alvernia (7-6, 2-2 MAC) in MAC conference play Wednesday evening. Set scores were 25-21, 25-20 and 25-18.

Stevenson and Alvernia battled for a lead early in the first set with five tie scores and two lead changes up to the 9-9 mark. Tanner Stauffer broke the tie with one of his game-leading 12 kills on the evening, sparking a four-point run for the visiting Mustangs. The four-point edge was all the Mustangs would need, never allowing the advantage to slip to less than two and widening it as large as six points at the 11-17 mark when Aleks Melbardis and Aidan O'Brien paired up to block the Alvernia attack. The Mustangs took the opening frame with a set score of 25-21.

The second set was also tightly contested with six tie scores and two lead changes. Stevenson jumped to a 2-6 advantage on a five-point run which saw two kills from Melbardis and an ace from Michael Dougherty. Alvernia chipped away at the Stevenson advantage, eventually tying the set at 9-9 before Stauffer threw down back-to-back kills to return the lead to the Mustangs.

Alvernia would not allow the Mustang out of sight, tying the set at 13-13 and again at 14-14 before Stevenson embarked on a 7-3 run which included a block assist from Tim Flanagan and Aidan O'Brien and an ace from Flanagan. Elliot De La Torre and Tanner Stauffer also notched kills during the stretch. The Mustangs and Golden Wolves traded points for the remainder of the set, giving the Mustangs the second frame with a score of 25-20.

Set three also had five tie scores and one lead change, all coming before either side had scored its seventh point. Tanner Stauffer laid down a kill, breaking the fifth and final tie of the third set and sparking a Stevenson three-point advantage. Stevenson never looked back and never allowed Alvernia to string two points together until the final two points played in the match. The Mustangs won the final set 25-18.

Numbers and Notes

• Elliot De La Torre notched a career-high 10 kills, with seven coming in the third set and added a .526 hit percentage.
• Tim Flanagan picked up double-digit kills for the sixth occasion this season and second in a row.
• Tanner Stauffer has put down double digit kills in five consecutive matches.
• Justin Novoa tallied 32 assists for the second consecutive game, and fourth occasion this season he has eclipsed the 30 assists mark.

What's Next

• Stevenson continues on the road, traveling to Eastern for a MAC conference bout at 1pm on March 5.