Annville, Pa. (November 1) - The Stevenson women's volleyball team battled through a thrilling five-set match on Saturday afternoon, falling just short to Lebanon Valley, 3–2 (28–30, 22–25, 25–22, 25–16, 9–15), in non-conference play. 

Set 1:
The Mustangs opened strong, trading points with Lebanon Valley in an intense back-and-forth first set. Rachel Lenz and Giulia Viglietta powered the offense with key kills down the stretch, while Lillianna Hornickle added timely blocks to keep Stevenson within striking distance. Despite fending off multiple set points, Stevenson narrowly dropped the opener, 30–28.

Set 2:
Momentum continued to swing both ways early in the second frame, with Emma Shaffer and Lenz combining for several kills to keep the Mustangs close. Courtney Foose distributed the ball efficiently, recording assists on several extended rallies. Late in the set, the Flying Dutchmen capitalized on a brief Stevenson miscue run to edge out a 25–22 win and take a 2–0 lead.

Set 3:
Refusing to back down, the Mustangs came alive in the third set. Viglietta and Lenz took control offensively, while Declyn Tooze ran a steady offense with 23 assists overall. Stevenson's defense tightened up as Lilly Eichelberger delivered a key service ace and Logan Burge posted a timely block to seal the 25–22 win and keep the Mustangs in the match.

Set 4:
The fourth set was all Stevenson. The Mustangs dominated from the start, jumping out to an early lead behind an impressive serving run from Allie Gaus and the continued firepower of Viglietta and Lenz. Foose and Tooze combined to keep the offense balanced, while the defense limited Lebanon Valley's attack to just 16 points as Stevenson forced a decisive fifth set.

Set 5:
In a winner-take-all fifth, both teams traded points early before Lebanon Valley gained a small cushion midway through. Lenz and Viglietta continued to lead by example, each contributing kills to keep Stevenson close. Despite the late push, the Mustangs couldn't overcome the Dutchmen's final surge, dropping the set 15–9.

Lenz finished the afternoon with 19 kills, six total blocks, and five aces, while Viglietta added 18 kills and 17 digs. Hornickle tallied seven kills and two blocks, and Foose and Tooze combined for 37 assists.

With the narrow defeat, Stevenson moves to 14–12 overall. The Mustangs return to action on Wednesday, November 5, hosting Albright for MAC Commonwealth action at 7:00 p.m.