HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Messiah women's volleyball team traveled to Haverford Saturday evening and split the day losing to Haverford and defeating Rutgers-Camden. 
 
Haverford defeats Messiah – 3-1 (28-26, 23-25, 25-10, 25-21)
The Falcons found themselves in a contested first set trading points with the Fords. Messiah managed to take a 9-5 lead after going on a seven-point run off multiple Haverford errors and a kill from Anna Weldon. The Fords would chip their way back into the game tying it at 11 a piece. From that moment on both teams would exchange points with no team grabbing a bigger lead than two, until a kill from Fords Izabela Potocnjak ignited Haverford to go on a six-point run leading 21-15. Messiah would not go away clawing their way back into the set coming within a single point three separate times but ultimately could not get the winning point dropping set one 28-26.

The Fords would come out swinging in set two jumping to a quick 4-1 lead, but the Falcons would not waiver tying it at five a peice with help from Cassidy Dell and Caitlin Lielbriedis. Messiah would ride that momentum scoring ten out of the next 15 points. Katie Quesenberry and Weldon would lead the way scoring two kills apiece and the Falcons would take advantage of multiple Haverford errors during that run to take a 15-9 lead. The Fords would not go away after a couple point exchanges Haverford would go on a eight point run of their own to grab the lead at 20-18. Both teams would continue to battle but the Falcons got the better of the exchanges winning the set 25-23 with help from Quesenberry, Feight, and Lielbriedis all scoring points.

Set three was a one-sided affair as the Fords dominated the Falcons from start to finish. Haverford at one point would score eight straight point to take a commanding 19-5 lead over Messiah. The Falcons would do their best to hold off the Fords, but it was not enough as Haverford would take the set 25-10. Down two sets to one the Falcons would not go away.

The fourth set would start like the previous three with both teams going back and forth with the Falcons taking a 7-5 lead. Feight would do most of the damage as she has done all year scoring three kills. The Fords would go on a 5-0 run to capture a 10-7 lead. From that point on both teams would continue to exchange points tied at 14 a piece Feight, Dell, and Lielbriedis continued to lead the way for the Falcons. Haverford would go on to score the next five points, but Messiah did not go away. The Falcons would bring the score within a point down 18-19 with just seven points needed to extend the match to five sets. But Haverford did not give the Falcons that chance as they would go on to take set four 25-21 and hand the Falcons their first loss of the season winning three sets to one.
 
Messiah defeats Rutgers-Camden – 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-20)
The Falcons began set one jumping to a quick 5-3 lead over the Scarlet Raptors. But Rutgers-Camden would respond with a five-point run to take a 8-5 lead. Both teams would exchange points until the 14-14 mark where Messiah would begin to open it up scoring the next seven. Anna Weldon, Sarah Hart, and Mackenzie Feight would all get involved during the run. With a 21-14 lead only needing four more to close out set one the Scarlet Raptors would end up scoring 10 out of the last 11 points to take set one from Messiah 25-22.
 
Messiah responded well in set two taking a quick 10-4 lead. Emma Swartz, Chayney Barnhart, Feight, and Lielbriedis all scoring for the Falcons. Messiah would continue to do most of the damage extending their lead to as big as 11. Cassidy Dell, Swartz, and Feight would continue to dominate the scoring with a 21-10 lead needing just four points to take the set. But unlike set one the Falcons would not lose this lead with a few scares coming from the Scarlet Raptors, Messiah would finish the set on top 25-16.
 
Set three began with the Scarlet Raptors taking a 7-5 lead. Both teams would go back and forth trading points, but Rutgers-Camden would extend their lead to 16-13. Two Barnhart kills and a Swartz kill later would tie the game at 16 a piece. A couple points later and both teams find themselves knotted at 22 with help from Feight, and multiple Scarlet Raptor errors. The Falcons would finish off the set with a Scarlet Raptor error, a Lielbriedis kill and a Feight kill to win 25-23 and take a 2-1 match lead.
 
The Falcons and Rutgers-Camden found themselves trading points through the 12-10 mark where the Scarlet Raptors would be up. But Messiah would go on to score six out of the next seven points to take a 16-13 lead. Both Hart and Barnhart would grab two kills, and Swartz would add one to her day as well. From that point on Messiah would not let go of their lead continuing to score throughout the remainder of the match. The Scarlet Raptors would threaten late bringing the Falcon lead to 21-20, but that would be all as Messiah rattled off the next four points to win the set and take the overall match 3-1. (22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-20)

What's Up Next:
The Falcons will head to Aston, Pa on Sept, 15 and 16 to play in the Neumann Quad.