Owings Mills, Md. (February 5) — The Stevenson Mustangs protected their home court Thursday night with a composed, four-set victory over Elizabethtown, taking the match 3–1 (25–20, 17–25, 25–14, 25–21) inside Owings Mills Gymnasium. After a back-and-forth start, Stevenson leaned on timely runs, strong net play, and balanced offense to pull away and secure the win.

Set 1:
The Mustangs settled in after trading early points and found their rhythm midway through the frame. Adam DeRubertis and Tanner Laukhuff sparked the offense with a pair of kills to even the score, and Connor Roth began distributing efficiently to both pins. With the set tied at 13–13, Stevenson surged behind a service ace and consecutive Elizabethtown errors to grab control. Laukhuff terminated in transition, and Kevin Kouchoukos added a key swing late to stretch the margin. Stevenson closed confidently at 25–20, capitalizing on defensive pressure and forcing the Blue Jays into mistakes down the stretch.

Set 2:
Elizabethtown answered early, jumping out to a multi-point lead before the Mustangs could settle in. Stevenson chipped away behind kills from Laukhuff and Adam Sawyers, but the Blue Jays maintained momentum from the service line and kept the Mustangs out of system. Despite a late push from DeRubertis and Kouchoukos, the visitors evened the match with a 25–17 set win.

Set 3:
Stevenson responded with its sharpest volleyball of the night. Laukhuff caught fire early with multiple kills, and Sawyers teamed with Kouchoukos at the net for blocks that stalled every Elizabethtown rally. A 5–0 burst flipped a tight score into a comfortable advantage, and Roth's steady setting kept the offense balanced. DeRubertis added timely swings in transition, while Corwin Trouteaud chipped in from the right side. The Mustangs dominated the middle stretch and rolled to a convincing 25–14 decision to reclaim control.

Set 4:
With momentum on their side, the Mustangs raced ahead again. Laukhuff continued to lead the attack, hammering balls from both the middle and outside, and Sawyers contributed a kill and a block to extend the cushion. Kouchoukos found seams late, and DeRubertis closed rallies with authority as Stevenson maintained a steady lead throughout the frame. After Elizabethtown made one final push, the Mustangs answered with back-to-back points and sealed the match, 25–21, to secure the 3–1 victory.


The Mustangs return to action Saturday, February 7, hosting a tri-match against Neumann (2 p.m.) and Eastern Mennonite (6 p.m.) inside Owings Mills Gymnasium.