GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The Stevenson women's volleyball team battled through two hard-fought matches on Saturday, falling 3–2 to Muhlenberg and dropping a 3–0 decision to Gettysburg at in non-conference action. The Mustangs opened against Muhlenberg with a 25–22 victory before the Mules responded with wins of 25–19 and 25–23 to take a 2–1 lead. Stevenson answered with a 25–20 fourth-set win to force a decisive fifth, but Muhlenberg edged the Mustangs 17–15 to secure the match. The Mustangs then faced Gettysburg, falling 25–21 in the opening set before pushing the second set to extra points, ultimately dropping it 27–25. Gettysburg closed out the match with a 25–18 victory in the third set.
Vs. Muhlenberg
Set 1: Stevenson opened the match strong, using kills from Lenz,
Maren Zepfel,
Emma Shaffer and
Lillianna Hornickle to build momentum. After Muhlenberg rallied to tie the set at 17–17, the Mustangs responded with a late run, highlighted by kills from Lenz and Hornickle, to create separation. Stevenson pushed its lead to 24–19 before the Mules scored three consecutive points, but
Sydney Salazar delivered the set-clinching kill to secure a 25–22 victory.
Set 2: Muhlenberg responded in the second set, taking an early lead before Stevenson worked its way back into the frame. Kills from Shaffer, Salazar and Hornickle, along with a service ace from
Courtney Foose, helped the Mustangs stay within reach. The Mules used a late run to extend their advantage and held on to take the set 25–19, evening the match at one set apiece.
Set 3: The teams traded points throughout the third set, with Stevenson finding contributions from Salazar, Shaffer and Lenz to remain within striking distance. The Mustangs battled back late, cutting the deficit to 24–23 behind consecutive kills from Lenz and Shaffer. Muhlenberg answered with the final point to take the set 25–23 and move ahead 2–1 in the match.
Set 4: Facing a must-win set, Stevenson responded with its strongest offensive showing of the match. The Mustangs overcame an early deficit and used kills from Salazar, Lenz and Zepfel to keep the set close. With the score tied at 16–16, Stevenson took control behind a kill and service ace from Foose, followed by a series of kills from Lenz and Salazar. The Mustangs pulled away late to earn a 25–20 victory and force a fifth set.
Set 5: Stevenson and Muhlenberg exchanged points in a tightly contested deciding set. The Mustangs gained momentum with kills from Lenz, Salazar and Shaffer, taking a 10–9 lead before the Mules responded with a run to move ahead 14–11. Stevenson fought back to tie the set at 14–14, and Shaffer added another kill to even the score at 15–15. Muhlenberg scored the final two points, edging the Mustangs 17–15 to claim the match.
Lenz paced Stevenson with 24 kills and 18 digs, while Salazar added 15 kills and 17 points. Shaffer recorded 11 kills and 13 digs, and Hornickle contributed six kills and five block assists. Foose and
Declyn Tooze each finished with 28 assists, while
Isabella Terra recorded nine digs. Stevenson totaled 67 kills, nine service aces and eight team
Vs. Gettysburg
Set 1:
Stevenson traded points with Gettysburg early in the opening set, with kills from
Sydney Salazar,
Rachel Lenz, and
Emily McElwaine helping the Mustangs stay within reach. After Gettysburg built a 17–10 advantage, Stevenson responded with an impressive run behind four consecutive points from
Laila Frye, including two service aces and a kill from
Lillianna Hornickle, to cut the deficit to 17–15.
The Mustangs continued to battle, pulling within 24–21 following a service ace from
Isabella Terra. Gettysburg, however, secured the final point to take the opening set 25–21.
Set 2:
The Mustangs came out strong in the second set, using a kill from
Emma Shaffer, a kill from Hornickle, and a service ace from Frye to build an early 4–1 advantage. The teams traded points throughout the middle of the frame, with Stevenson keeping pace behind kills from Salazar, Lenz, and
Maren Zepfel.
Stevenson created separation late in the set, using a combination of offensive production and defensive pressure to extend its lead to 21–15. Gettysburg responded with a late rally, trimming the margin and eventually forcing extra points at 24–24. Salazar delivered a key kill to give the Mustangs a 25–24 advantage, but Gettysburg answered with three consecutive points to claim a 27–25 victory and take a 2–0 match lead.
Set 3:
Stevenson looked to extend the match in the third set, trading points with Gettysburg early. Kills from Lenz, McElwaine, and Shaffer helped the Mustangs remain competitive as the teams battled through the opening points.
Gettysburg gradually gained control, turning an 8–8 tie into a 13–8 advantage. Stevenson continued to fight, with kills from Salazar, Lenz, and Shaffer helping the Mustangs stay within striking distance. However, Gettysburg maintained its momentum down the stretch, closing out the set 25–18 to secure the 3–0 victory.
Salazar led the Stevenson offense with eight kills while hitting .214, while Lenz added nine kills and 14 digs. Shaffer contributed seven kills, and Zepfel finished with four kills.
Courtney Foose paced the Mustangs with 15 assists, while
Declyn Tooze added 12 assists. Terra anchored the back row with 13 digs, and Stevenson finished with 56 digs, 10 service aces, and eight total team blocks.
Stevenson returns to action on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. as the Mustangs host Widener for MAC Commonwealth action.
