Owings Mills, Md. (January 22) — The Stevenson Mustangs battled through five hard-fought sets Thursday night and came away with a thrilling 3–2 victory over Marymount (Va.). After trading momentum throughout the match, Stevenson closed strong in the decisive fifth set to secure the win and keep its early-season momentum rolling.

Set 1:
Marymount jumped out quickly, capitalizing on a pair of early Mustang errors to build a 3–0 lead. Stevenson settled in behind a kill from Jackson Bones and a service ace from Adam DeRubertis to trim the deficit and regain rhythm. Corwin Trouteaud added a pair of timely kills, while the Mustangs' block began to show life midway through the set. Despite a late push from Stevenson that included consecutive points by Trouteaud, Marymount held on down the stretch and edged the opening frame, 25–19.

Set 2:
The Mustangs responded with energy in the second set. Bones opened the scoring with a kill, and Tanner Laukhuff and Adam Sawyers teamed up for a key block to spark a run that pulled Stevenson even at 6–6. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, highlighted by multiple kills from Bones and Trouteaud. With the score tight late, Laukhuff delivered a service ace to swing momentum back in Stevenson's favor, but Marymount answered with a late run and closed out the set, 25–22, to take a 2–0 advantage.

Set 3:
Facing a two-set deficit, Stevenson flipped the script in the third. Bones immediately made an impact with a service ace, and Trouteaud followed with back-to-back kills to give the Mustangs an early edge. Sawyers added a crucial kill to stop a Marymount surge, and Kevin Kouchoukos chipped in with a timely finish at the net. The set tightened late, but Stevenson executed in the closing points as Bones delivered a pair of clutch kills to seal a 26–24 win and keep the match alive.

Set 4:
Momentum carried into the fourth set as Laukhuff caught fire, recording multiple kills and a service ace during a key mid-set run. Lance Simon contributed from the service line with an ace of his own, while Trouteaud anchored the front row with a block to maintain separation. Marymount rallied late to tie the set at 24–24, but Bones again stepped up with consecutive kills to push Stevenson across the finish line, 29–27, forcing a deciding fifth set.

Set 5:
The Mustangs wasted no time asserting control in the final set. DeRubertis delivered back-to-back service aces to spark an early run, and strong defense forced several Marymount attack errors. After a brief Marymount push tied the score, Kouchoukos and Bones combined for key points to regain the lead. Stevenson's composure showed down the stretch as Trouteaud finished a rally with a clean kill, and the Mustangs closed out the match to complete the comeback and secure the 3–2 victory.


Stevenson returns to action on the road at Widener on Thursday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m.