READING, Pa. - The Messiah women's volleyball continued their winning ways Tuesday night, defeating Albright College 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-21) to earn their sixth straight victory and move to 22-6 overall and 5-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons hit .333 as a team in the win, while recording 47 total kills. Mary Underman led Messiah with 14 kills in the match with Rachel Garratt recording eight kills and Natalie Marsch tallying seven kills. After the victory, the Falcons will come back home to Hitchcock Arena for a MAC Commonwealth showdown with the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Falcons Take Momentum
After the two teams were knotted early on in set one at 4-4, the Falcons grabbed the lead and did not look back. Messiah went on a 9-2 run that was captained by three Payton Manwaring kills, giving the Falcons a 13-6 lead. Albright cut this lead to four after a 6-3 streak that was aided by Messiah errors to make the score 16-12. Messiah then found their groove, ending the game on a commanding 9-0 run that saw a pair of Falcons in Mary Underman and Natalie Marsch tally a trio of kills. After the 25-12 set win, the Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set two saw the Falcons jump out to a 14-5 lead off the strength of three Underman kills and a pair of Rachel Garratt kills. The Lions tried to chip away, but the Falcons continued to hold a comfortable lead throughout the rest of the set. The Lions were not able to get any closer than seven as Messiah cruised to a 25-13 game win.

Set Three Battle
Albright held a slim 6-4 advantage at the beginning of game three before Messiah took over with a 7-0 stretch to take a 11-6 lead. A pair of Rachel Rashford and Rachel Garratt kills fueled the Falcons comeback. The Lions then answered with an 8-3 run of their own to tie the set up at 14-14.

The two teams continued to clash, with Messiah gaining a 17-16 edge. The Falcons kept it rolling with the help of some untimely Albright errors to take a 24-17 lead after a 7-1 run put Messiah at match point. The Lions would not go down without a fight, using a 4-0 run to make it interesting at 24-21. A Rachel Garratt kill proved to be the difference as the Falcons held on for a 25-21 win to claim the match 3-0.

Inside The Box Score
Thirteen Falcons contributed in the win over Albright. Three Falcons, with five or more attempts, hit over .500 in the match. Those Falcons being Payton Manwaring (.556), Mary Underman (.545), and Rachel Rashford (.500).

What's Up Next
As mentioned, with this victory the Falcons move to 5-2 in the MAC Commonwealth and 22-6 overall. They move into their final regular season MAC Commonwealth matchup Thursday in Hitchcock Arena for senior night when they take on Lebanon Valley College at 7:00 p.m.