OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Stevenson University women's volleyball team rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second set to complete a 3-0 sweep of Widener in MAC Commonwealth action on Tuesday night at Owings Mills Gymnasium. After dominating the opening set, 25-15, the Mustangs faced a 20-8 deficit in the second before battling back to take the set, 26-24, and carried that momentum into a 25-22 third-set victory.
Set 1:
Stevenson came out firing in the opening set, jumping to a commanding 7–0 lead behind a strong serving run from
Courtney Foose and early kills from
Sydney Salazar,
Emma Shaffer, and
Rachel Lenz. The Mustangs established control at the net, with Salazar and
Lillianna Hornickle combining for a block during the early run.
Widener attempted to chip away at the deficit, but Stevenson continued to find answers offensively. Lenz and Shaffer added kills to maintain the Mustangs' advantage, while
Allison Gaus contributed a service ace to help extend the lead to 21–13. Stevenson closed out the frame with another strong stretch, as Lenz delivered the set-winning kill to secure a 25–15 victory and a 1–0 match lead.
Set 2:
The second set proved to be a battle, as Widener jumped out to an early lead and built an 8–0 advantage. Stevenson responded with determination, gradually working its way back into the set from a 20-8 deficit, but used kills from Salazar, Lenz, and Hornickle help fuel the momentum.
The Mustangs continued to apply pressure late in the frame, using a service ace from
Declyn Tooze and key attacking plays from Lenz to close the gap. Stevenson eventually tied the set at 23–23 before Widener moved within one point of taking the frame. The Mustangs answered under pressure, as Lenz recorded a crucial kill to even the score at 24–24 before Shaffer delivered back-to-back points to complete the comeback with a 26–24 win. The victory gave Stevenson a 2–0 advantage in the match.
Set 3:
The Mustangs carried their momentum into the third set, building an early 5–1 lead behind kills from Lenz and Salazar and a service ace from
Zoe Folk. Stevenson continued to control the pace, extending its advantage to 15–10 with another kill from Salazar.
Widener made a late push, cutting into the deficit and narrowing the score to 18–17. Stevenson responded with timely plays from
Emily McElwaine and Shaffer to maintain its lead. Lenz added a key kill during the closing stretch, helping the Mustangs reach match point at 24–21. After Widener earned another point, Lenz finished the match with her 16th kill, sealing the third set 25–22 and completing the 3–0 sweep.
Lenz led Stevenson with a match-high 16 kills and added 12 digs. Salazar contributed 10 kills while hitting .375, and Shaffer recorded five kills. Foose paced the offense with 20 assists, while Tooze added five assists and two service aces. Defensively, Lenz and Shaffer each contributed to the Mustangs' effort at the net, and the team totaled 53 digs.
Stevenson will return to action on Thursday, October 29, traveling to Albright for a 7 p.m. matchup in MAC Commonwealth play.
