OWINGS MILLS, Md. – In the first of two meetings this year, the Stevenson University men's volleyball team saw a 2-0 lead evaporate on Thursday night, as Marymount (1-0) rallied to defeat the Mustangs (0-2) 3-2.
 
Set scores were 21-25, 23-25, 25-21, 26-24 and 15-10.
 
Tim Flanagan had a match-high 24 kills, while Anthony Pezzino had 15 with Ryan Thenell netting 14. The Mustangs hit .268 on the night (65-24-153) while going 14-2-30 in the opening set.
 
Pezzino had three aces, with Elliot De La Torre getting three blocks and Aiden O'Brien getting two. Justin Novoa had 50 assists, with Pezzino getting 13 digs defensively.
 
Marymount was led by Diego Pena with 20 kills, with Will Wright getting 15.
 
In a tightly contested first set, Stevenson led from first serve and went up by as much as five at 19-14 on a kill by Pezzino. Marymount got to within two at 22-20 before a kill by Flanagan put the Mustangs back up by three.
 
In the second set, Marymount led most of the way, before Stevenson rallied from a 22-20 deficit on the strength of back-to-back kills by O'Brien to tie the score at 22-all. An attack error gave the Mustangs a 23-22 lead, while Stevenson would win the set on a bad set at 25-23.
 
Marymount held off Stevenson in the third set winning 25-21, and fended off match point in set four at 24-22, scoring four straight points to win 26-24.
 
In the fifth and deciding set, the Saints went out to a 7-1 lead, before Stevenson made a furious rally to get to withing two at 11-9. However, the Mustangs could not get any closer.
 
Stevenson will be in action next Saturday, January 27, hosting MIT.