GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah Women's Volleyball team dropped a tough contest on Tuesday night against conference foe Stevenson University, falling in four sets (21-25, 25-27, 25-17, 21-25).

In set one, the two teams traded leads early, but a 10-point run by the Mustangs in the middle of the set gave them a 1-0 lead in the match. Set two saw multiple lead changes the whole way throughout, with the Mustangs taking the set 27-25. In the third set, Stevenson had a three-point lead halfway through the set, but Messiah won 15 of the last 19 points to take the set, forcing set four. In set four, Stevenson grabbed and early lead and never looked back, keeping Messiah just out of reach to take the set and the match. Cassidy Dell had a team-high 20 digs and 38 assists. Makenzie Adams had 15 kills and 14 digs. Cynthia Boller led the Falcons with 17. Courtney Wolf totaled 12 digs while Claire Marzolino added 11 digs.
 
Up next, the Falcons host the University of Mary Washington for homecoming on Friday, October 3, at 7:00 p.m.
 
Set One
Stevenson started the set well, taking an early five-point lead, 7-2. Messiah responded with a five-point run, including two kills Katie Quesenberry and one kill each from Cynthia Boller and Makenzie Adams to tie the set 7-7. Stevenson grabbed the lead back, 8-7, but Cynthia Boller scored three straight kills to give the Falcons their first lead of the set, 10-8. Two straight service aces for Cassidy Dell extended the Falcons lead to four, at 13-9, but the Mustangs responded with a 10-point run to take a 19-13 lead. Two kills from Sydney Wolfe and kills from Makenzie Adams and Katie Quesenberry pulled the Falcons within three at 22-19, but Stevenson won the next two points to give themselves a set point. Julia Bowen and Leah Youtzy each grabbed their first kills of the match, but it wasn't enough as Messiah dropped the set 25-21.
 
Set Two
Cynthia Boller tallied two kills and Leah Youtzy added one as the teams battled to an early 6-6 tie in the second set. Makenzie Adams picked up a kill for the Falcons, but the Mustangs started to pull away, trailing 11-7. The Falcons responded with another kill from Adams and three straight kills from Katie Quesenberry to tie the set at 11. Quesenberry added another kill, and Cynthia Boller tacked on two more as the teams traded points, tied 16-16 late in the set. Kills from Leah Youtzy and Katie Quesenberry, plus a few Mustang errors, gave the Falcons the lead late, 21-18. Makenzie Adams tallied another kill, but Stevenson won four of the next five points to tie the set 22-22. Cynthia Boller added another kill to give the Falcons the lead back, 23-22, but Stevenson took the lead right back, at 24-23. A few Mustang errors kept the Falcons in the set, but Stevenson took the set 27-25.
 
Set Three
Sydney Wolfe scored two early kills in set three, giving the Falcons an early 3-1 lead. Stevenson responded by winning the next four points to take 5-3 lead. Messiah took the lead back, 8-7, after two kills each from Makenzie Adams and Cynthia Boller, plus one kill from Katie Quesenberry. Stevenson won the next two points to take the lead back, 9-8, but another Cynthia Boller kill and ace from Cassidy Dell gave Messiah the lead right back, 10-9. Stevenson responded with a four-point run to take a 13-9 lead, but Messiah would take over the set quickly. Cythia Boller scored another kill and Hannah Thomas dropped in an ace to get the Falcons within two, at 13-11. Makenzie Adams tallied a kill and Katie Quesenberry picked up a solo block, with the Falcons winning four of five points to take a 16-14 lead. Stevenson got back to within one, at 16-15, two more kills from Katie Quesenberry, a kill from Makenzie Adams, and a kill from Cassidy Dell extended the Messiah lead to six points, at 21-15. Cynthia Boller would score one more kill, and Makenzie Adams added a kill and a service ace, helping Messiah win the set, 25-17.
 
Set Four
Makenzie Adams totaled two early kills, as the teams traded points to an early 2-2 tie. Adams added another kill and a service ace, but Stevenson took the lead, 8-4. Katie Quesenberry added a kill and Leah Youtzy and Hannah MacCartney combined for a double block, but the Mustang lead grew to five, at 13-8. Messiah started to cut into the Stevenson lead, with kills from Hannah MacCartney, Makenzie Adams, and Katie Quesenberry making it 15-12, Stevenson. Cynthia Boller added another kill, and Claire Marzolino tallied a service ace, but the Falcons couldn't take the lead, with Stevenson leading by five again, at 20-15. Cynthia Boller picked up two more kills, but the Mustang lead remained, now at 23-18. Katie Quesenberry added another solo block and Makenzie Adams tallied one last kill, but the Mustangs took the set 25-21, and the match in four sets.
 
Stats
Cassidy Dell had a team-high 20 digs and 38 assists. Makenzie Adams had 15 kills and 14 digs. Cynthia Boller led the Falcons with 17. Courtney Wolf totaled 12 digs while Claire Marzolino added 11 digs. Katie Quesenberry added 13 kills and three blocks.
 
Up Next
The Falcons host the University of Mary Washington for homecoming on Friday, October 3, at 7:00 p.m.