YORK, Pa. - The Stevenson women's volleyball team battled York (Pa.) through five sets of MAC Commonwealth action on Tuesday, evening at Charles Wolf Gymnasium, falling 3–2 by set scores of 25–27, 25–21, 31–29, 18–25, and 17–15. The Mustangs showed resilience throughout the match, overcoming early deficits and pushing the Spartans through two extended sets, before being handed their first conference loss.
Set 1: Stevenson opened the match trailing 2–0 before quickly responding with a 6–0 run behind a pair of kills from
Maren Zepfel and strong serving from
Rachel Lenz. The Mustangs built a 16–6 advantage before York battled back to make it a one-point set late.
York eventually tied the set at 24–24, but Stevenson answered with kills from Lenz and
Lillianna Hornickle to take a 26–25 lead. Hornickle then helped close out the opening set as the Mustangs secured a 27–25 victory.
Set 2: York took an early 3–2 lead in the second set before Stevenson battled to keep the set within reach. The Spartans led 16–11, but the Mustangs responded with a 4–0 run that included kills from
Autumn Henry and Lenz.
Stevenson continued to chip away, eventually pulling within one at 18–17 following a Hornickle service ace and a York attack error. The Mustangs tied the set at 18–18 before taking control late, closing on a 7–1 run to earn a 25–21 victory and a 2–0 match lead.
Set 3: The Mustangs and Spartans traded points throughout a tightly contested third set. Stevenson built an early 7–2 advantage and maintained a lead through the middle portion of the set before York rallied to tie the score at 24–24.
The teams continued trading points deep into extra points, with Stevenson tying the set at 28–28 on a kill from
Emma Shaffer. York eventually edged ahead and closed the set, 31–29, to cut Stevenson's match lead to 2–1.
Set 4: York jumped out to a 9–4 lead in the fourth set, but Stevenson answered with a 7–0 run to take an 11–10 advantage. The Mustangs continued to battle, with kills from Lenz and Hornickle helping Stevenson take a 16–13 lead.
York responded with a late surge, eventually regaining the lead at 18–17 before closing the set on a 7–1 run to force a decisive fifth set.
Set 5: The final set remained close from the opening point, with neither team able to pull away. Stevenson led 8–6 at the switch and later held a 13–12 advantage following a kill from
Logan Burge.
York answered with a late run to take a 15–13 lead, but Stevenson continued to fight, cutting the deficit to 15–14. The Spartans ultimately closed out the set, 17–15, to claim the five-set victory.
Lenz led the Mustangs with 17 kills, 20.5 points, 12 digs, and a .132 hitting percentage. Burge added 13 kills while hitting .542, while Henry finished with 10 kills. Hornickle contributed six kills and three blocks, while Zepfel added seven kills.
Declyn Tooze led the Stevenson offense with 21 assists, while
Courtney Foose added 19 assists. Defensively,
Lilly Eichelberger recorded 18 digs, while
Isabella Terra added 28 digs. Stevenson finished with 57 kills and 82 digs while recording seven total team blocks.
Stevenson returns to action on Saturday, October 3, at the William Paterson Tri-Match. The Mustangs will face William Paterson at 11 a.m. before taking on Swarthmore at 1 p.m.
