CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Messiah University Women's Volleyball team competed in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament against the University of La Verne on Saturday, Nov. 21 and finished their season following the 3-0 loss against the Leopards. The Falcons dropped the first set 25-23 after a closely contested set. The Falcons used a six-point run in the middle of the set to battle back from a five point deficit, but they were unable to maintain the lead. Messiah started set two down 6-1 and battled back to tie the score 19-19 and taking the lead 21-19. La Verne earned six straight points to win the set 25-21. Messiah dropped the third set 25-13 and the match 3-0 to conclude the 2024 season.

How It Happened
First Set
The Falcons found themselves trailing early, as the Leopards grabbed a 7-3 lead off a couple of Messiah errors. However, the Falcons were up for the challenge as Emma Swartz and Cassidy Dell made it an 10-8 deficit. The Falcons would use that momentum to score six of the next seven to give themselves an 14-11 lead at the midway point of the set. La Verne did not lose confidence despite the strong defense from Messiah, the Leopards scored seven of the next eight to regain a 18-16 lead. Following a kill from Makenzie Adams and a Leopard error, the Falcons were right back in the set all tied at 18-18. Following a couple of errors from both teams, a kill from Dell put Messiah in prime position to steal the first set up 22-20. Messiah was however unable to put out the Leopards, as La Verne scored five of the last six to win the set 25-23.
 
Second Set
The Leopards would continue to roll from the late comeback in set one, grabbing an 6-1 lead. Falcons Julia Bowen and Adams provided much needed offense to cut the deficit to 8-4. Following a Leopard kill, Chayney Barnhart, Quesenberry, and Dell put Messiah back into the set trailing 10-9. After a 3-0 run from La Verne, Messiah would use a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 15-14. As both teams traded points for over a stretch, three straight Hart kills, and a Leopard error gave Messiah a late 21-19 advantage. However, with their backs against the wall, the Leopards would finish strong, scoring the final six points to capture the second set 25-21.
 
Third Set
La Verne showed no signs of letting up, jumping to an early 9-0 lead. Barnhart and Hart would break up the scoring drought for Messiah, but the Falcons found themselves in a hole trailing 10-2. As they have done all year, the Falcons showed no quit, as Quesenberry, Barnhart, and Bowen continued to find success at the net, cutting the deficit to 15-8. However, La Vernes offense was hard to contain, as they took control late extending their lead to 20-9. Messiah fought to the very end, sneaking in some late points, but the Leopards were able to hold the Falcons to 13 points in the final set, advancing to the next round.
 
Stats from the Match
Cassidy Dell and Sarah Hart finished the game with eight kills each. Caitlin Lielbriedis led the team with 14 digs, while Emma Swartz tallied a team high 11 assists. Chayney Barnhart finished the game with three assisted blocks and one solo.
 
Season Success
The Falcons had an all-around fantastic year on the volleyball court. For the first time in program history Messiah claimed a conference title, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament in 39 years. Seniors Emma Swartz and Caitlin Lielbriedis reached individual milestones, while Makenzie Adams became the second straight Messiah rookie to be named MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year. In her eighth season at the helm, head coach Holly Motheral capped off the season with her third career Conference Coach of the year, defeating Stevenson University for the first time in her career, as well as defeating Eastern University in both the regular season and Conference Championship.