GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Messiah Women's Volleyball split two matches on day two of the Battlefield Classic. The Falcons started the day against the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans, losing 3-1 in four sets (16-25, 21-25, 27-25, 20-25). They then played the Red Devils of Dickinson College, winning in three sets (26-24, 25-23, 25-17).

In game one, the Tartans took the first set convincingly from the Falcons. Messiah started to find their rhythm in the second set, but would drop it as well, finding themselves down two sets to zero. The Falcons were down 24-20 in the third, but fought back to win the set, forcing set four. The Falcons found themselves in a similar spot at the end of the fourth set. They started to mount a comeback again but fell just short losing the match 3-1.

In game two, the Falcons were down big in the first set, before coming back to win a closely contested set. The second set was just as tight, with the Falcons also managing to finish ahead to take a two-set lead in the match. The Falcons cruised for the first half of the third set. After a Dickinson run got the score within a few points, the Falcons stepped on the gas again to complete the sweep, winning in three sets.
 
Up next, the Falcons welcome the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College to Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena on Thursday Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. for the 2025 home opener.
 
Match One: Messiah 1, Carnegie Mellon 3
Set One
The set started with a few Tartan kills and errors. Down 5-3, the Falcons offense got started with a kill from Makenzie Adams to make it 5-4 Tartans. Carnegie Mellon strung a set of points together, taking a 10-5 lead. Cassidy Dell, Sydney Wolfe, and Leah Youtzy added kills for the Falcons, but they couldn't cut into the Tartan lead. Down 21-14, Cynthia Boller would get her first kill of the day, but the Falcons couldn't mount a comeback, dropping the set 25-16.
 
Set Two
Messiah started the second set on the attack, with kills from Sydney Wolfe and Leah Youtzy helping the Falcons to an early 3-0 lead. Kills from Wolfe and Katie Quesenberry kept the Falcons lead at three, holding a 6-3 lead early in the set. The Tartans responded well, winning six straight points to take a 9-6 lead. Makenzie Adams added a kill, and Julia Bowen got her first kill of the match to stop the Tartan pressure, getting Messiah within one point at 10-9 in the set. The two teams then traded points, with the score sitting at 15-15 just over halfway through the set. The Tartans scored three straight points, but the Falcons responded with a run of their own keeping the score at 19-19. Carnegie Mellon would pull away to end the set, winning it 25-21 and taking a two-set lead in the match.
 
Set Three
Messiah started the third set strong, with kills from Makenzie Adams and Katie Quesenberry giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead. The Tartans would win the next six points but kills from Adams and Cassidy Dell would spark a Falcons run giving Messiah the lead back at 7-6, forcing a Tartan timeout. The Falcons won the first two points coming out of the timeout before the Tartans went on another run, taking a 14-10 lead. The Falcons scored three straight points, including a kill from Cynthia Boller to pull within one at 14-13. The Tartans would rebuild their lead, leading 24-20, one point away from closing out the match. Leah Youtzy got a kill to stop the Tartan momentum, making it 24-21. After a kill from Sydney Wolfe and a block from Youtzy and Wolfe, the score was tied 24-24. The teams traded points to make it 25-25 before two straight aces from Hannah Thomas gave the Falcons the set, winning 27-25.
 
Set Four
The teams started the fourth set battling to a 6-6 score, including a run of three straight Falcon kills for Katie Quesenberry. Carnegie Mellon pulled away to a three-point lead making it 11-8. Kills from Quesenberry, Cassidy Dell, and Cynthia Boller weren't enough, and the Falcons couldn't get within less than three points for the remainder of the set, losing 25-20.
 
Stats
Makenzie Adams had 12 kills and 14 digs for the Falcons. Leah Youtzy added three kills and five block assists. Sydney Wolfe had six kills and four block assists. Claire Marzolino and Erin Eby both had 13 digs.
 
Match 2: Messiah 3, Dickinson 0
Set One
Dickinson started the match well, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Sydney Wolfe and Makenzie Adams each tallied kills for the Falcons, but the Dickinson lead grew to five with the Red Devils up 8-3 early. The Falcons kept battling with kills from Cassidy Dell, Cynthia Boller, and another from Sydney Wolfe, but Dickinson extended the lead to 15-8, now up by seven. The Red Devils kept the lead at seven for a few points, but a Katie Quesenberry kill, and Makenzie Adams ace got the Falcons within five at 17-12. The Falcons would close the gap with two kills from Cynthia Boller and a block from Sydney Wolfe and Leah Youtzy to make it 19-18 Dickinson. The Falcons would get there first lead of the set after a kill from Wolfe and a solo block from Youtzy, making it 20-19 Messiah. The Falcons would have a set point, leading 24-22, but Dickinson would win the next two points to tie it 24-24. The Falcons would close out the set with kills from Sydney Wolfe and Makenzie Adams, winning 26-24.
 
Set Two
The Falcons and Red Devils started the second set even, with the team's trading points. After two Sydney Wolfe kills and one from Cynthia Boller, the score was 6-6. The Falcons then began to build a lead behind kills from Wolfe, Makenzie Adams, Katie Quesenberry, and Leah Youtzy, making it 16-11 Falcons. The Falcons then grew the lead to six, at 21-15, before a run from Dickinson got the Red Devils within one, with the Falcons narrowly leading 22-21. The Falcons won the next two points, but Dickinson kept fighting, getting the score to 24-23 Messiah. Katie Quesenberry then added another kill to her total for the day to win the set 25-23.
 
Set Three
Makenzie Adams and Sydney Wolfe each added two more kills to jump the Falcons out to an 8-0 lead to start the fourth set. The Red Devils would get on the board, but couldn't string any offense together, trailing 14-2 halfway through the set. Dickinson then went on a run of five straight points, making it 14-7 and forcing a Messiah timeout. After the timeout, Dickinson remained on the front foot, getting the deficit to just two, with Messiah leading 17-15. Leah Youtzy would get the momentum back with an ace for Messiah, and kills from Katie Quesenberry, Sydney Wolfe, and Makenzie Adams would give the Falcons the win in three sets.
 
Stats
Sydney Wolfe and Makenzie Adams had 12 kills for the Falcons. Claire Marzolino led the team with 14 digs. Cassidy Dell had 29 assists and eight digs. Katie Quesenberry and Cynthia Boller each added five kills.
 
 Up Next
The Falcons welcome the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College to Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena on Thursday Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. for the 2025 home opener.