Owings Mills, Md. (March 4) — The Stevenson University Mustangs controlled the tempo from start to finish, turning in a poised four-set performance to defeat Widener in MAC action, 3–1, Wednesday night inside Owings Mills Gymnasium.

Set 1:
The Mustangs found their rhythm quickly despite an early service miscue. Adam Sawyers jump-started the offense with a kill from Connor Roth, and Corwin Trouteaud followed with a finish to up the score. From there, Stevenson began to separate behind Tanner Laukhuff, who terminated multiple swings in transition. Roth kept the attack spread out, feeding Laukhuff and Kevin Kouchoukos for clean looks at the net. A mid-set run ballooned the lead to 17–9, highlighted by blocks from Sawyers and Trouteaud and a service ace from Kyler Robinson. Trouteaud and Roth added late kills, and Laukhuff hammered the final point to seal a commanding 25–14 win.

Set 2:
Widener responded with tighter defense and capitalized on a few Stevenson errors early to build a small edge. Laukhuff continued to shoulder the load with kills, while Kouchoukos answered with a pair of timely finishes to keep the Mustangs within striking distance. Sawyers and Kouchoukos sparked a late push with consecutive points, trimming the deficit to three, but the Pride maintained their sideout efficiency down the stretch and escaped with a 25–21 decision to even the match.

Set 3:
Stevenson flipped the momentum immediately. Trouteaud opened with a kill, and Roth followed with aggressive serving that forced Widener out of system. Laukhuff caught fire during a decisive run, connecting on multiple swings while DeRubertis added back-to-back service aces to extend the cushion. Kouchoukos provided stability in the middle, and Sawyers chipped in with another strong finish to halt any rally. With the Mustangs clicking offensively, Roth added a setter dump before Kouchoukos capped the frame, 25–19.

Set 4:
The final set featured early back-and-forth play, but Stevenson steadily wore down the Pride with balance and depth. Laukhuff opened with a kill and an ace, and Kouchoukos and DeRubertis teamed up for key points at the net. Trouteaud added a service ace to spark separation, while Roth's distribution kept blockers guessing. Midway through, consecutive kills from Kouchoukos and Laukhuff stretched the margin, and the Mustangs never looked back. Kouchoukos delivered the closing blow with another clean finish to lock up the 25–18 set and the 3–1 match victory.


Stevenson returns home Saturday, March 7, for a tri-match, opening at 2 p.m. against Penn State Schuylkill before also facing Cairn University.