GRANTHAM, Pa. – Messiah Women's Volleyball split their opening tri-match of the season, losing game one to the Cougars of Misericordia University in four sets (25-23, 23-25, 18-25, 18-25), and winning game two over the Stockton University Ospreys in four sets (15-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22).

In the first game, Messiah started strong taking a closely contested first set. The second set was just as close, with Misericordia taking it to tie the game at a set apiece. In set three, the Cougars started to take over, keeping Messiah from stringing together any runs, and taking the set. They kept that momentum up in the fourth, winning at as well, and defeating Messiah in four sets. Makenzie Adams led the Falcons with 13 kills and 14 digs. Sydney Wolfe had nine kills. Julia Bowen added eight kills.

In game two, the Falcons started slow, dropping the first set convincingly. However, the team turned it around in the second set, pulling away late to tie the match at a set a piece. They kept the momentum up into the third, winning another close set over the Ospreys. In the fourth set, the teams went back and forth, each going on runs and trading the lead back in fourth. The Falcons turned it up in the end of the set, winning the set and the match 3-1. Cynthia Boller led the Falcons with 11 kills. Sydney Wolfe added ten kills. Makenzie Adams had 13 digs for Messiah.
 
Up next, the Falcons host Lancaster Bible College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
 
Game One: Messiah – 1, Misericordia – 3
Set One
The teams traded service errors to start the set, followed by a Cougar service ace to take an early 2-1 lead. Down 4-2 in the first set, the Falcons got their first kill from Makenzie Adams. The two teams continued trading points, with Misericordia extending the lead to three at 7-4. Cynthia Boller then got her day started with back-to-back kills to get the Falcons within one, trailing 7-6. The squads traded the next three points, with the Cougars leading 9-7. The Falcons then went a small run, including kills from Katie Quesenberry and Makenzie Adams, to take their first lead of the game at 10-9. Another kill from Adams pushed the Falcon lead to two, at 12-10, before a three-point run from Misericordia gave them the lead back, 13-12. Katie Quesenberry and Cynthia Boller both added to their kill totals for the set as the teams traded points, with Misericordia holding a 18-17 lead. The Falcons responded with Sydney Wolfe's first kill of the match, and a block from Wolfe and Katie Quesenberry to take 21-19 lead. Misericordia wasn't done though, responding with a four-point run of their own to take a 23-19 lead. A Makenzie Adams kill stopped the run, and three straight Cougar errors gave the first set to Messiah, 25-23.
 
Set Two
Misericordia started the second set well, jumping out to a 7-2 lead. The Falcons started to chip away with kills from Makenzie Adams and Katie Quesenberry to make it 9-5. The Cougars got their lead back up to five, making it 14-9, before three Cynthia Boller kills and an ace from Claire Marzolino got the Falcons within one, at 15-14. The rest of the set was closely contested. After kills from Cynthia Boller, Sydney Wolfe, Makenzie Adams, Cassidy Dell, and Katie Quesenberry the score sat at 23-22 Misericordia. The Cougars would take two of the next three and win the second set 25-23.
 
Set Three
Messiah started the third set on the front foot, taking a quick 4-1 lead after kills from Sydney Wolfe and Makenzie Adams. Misericordia responded well, winning five of the next six points to take a 6-5 lead. Julia Bowen then entered the match for this first time and provided a spark for the falcons, with the team winning three of the next four points, including a kill from Bowen. After the Messiah took a 9-8 lead, the teams traded points all the way up to a 15-14 Falcon lead. In this stretch, Julia Bowen tacked on two more kills, and Sydney Wolfe and Leah Youtzy each had one. However, the Cougars would then pile on the pressure, winning 11 of the next 14 points, winning the set 25-18.
 
Set Four
Messiah once again started the set strong, jumping out to a 5-2 lead, with kills coming from Sydney Wolfe and Katie Quesenberry. Kills from Julia Bowen, Cassidy Dell, and Makenzie Adams kept the Falcons in front throughout the first part of set four, with the Falcons leading 9-6. Two straight kills from Sydney Wolfe then extended the Falcon lead to 11-7. The Cougars responded well, winning five of the next six points to tie it up 12-12. Makenzie Adams would stop the momentum with a kill to give the Falcons a 13-12 lead, but Misericordia then took over the match. Julia Bowen would add three more kills to her total, but the Cougars would take the set 25-28, and the match three sets to one.
 
Stats
Makenzie Adams led the Falcons with 13 kills and 14 digs. Sydney Wolfe had nine kills. Julia Bowen added eight kills. Cassidy Dell had 38 assists and 10 digs. Hannah Thomas had nine digs for Messiah.
 
Game Two: Messiah - 3, Stockton – 1
Set One
Stockton started well, quickly jumping out to a 9-2 lead. Cassidy Dell got a kill to stop the run from the Ospreys, but the Falcons couldn't string more than two points together, as Stockton continued to pull away, leading 14-6 and forcing a Messiah timeout. Out of the timeout, Stockon kept up the momentum winning the next two points. Makenzie Adams, Sydney Wolfe, and Katie Quesenberry would all grab kills to win three of the next four points for the Falcons, but the Ospreys still held a commanding lead, 17-9. Stockton would build on that lead, extending it to 11 points at 22-11. Cynthia Boller and Sydney Wolfe would each add another kill for the Falcons, but Stockton would take the set 25-15.
 
Set Two
Makenzie Adams had two early kills for the Falcons in the second set as they jumped out to an early 5-3 lead. Katie Quesenberry added a kill and the Ospreys had three straight attacking errors to extend Messiah's lead to 9-4. Quesenberry added another kill, and Leah Youtzy got on the board, keeping the lead at five points, with Messiah up 12-7 and forcing a Stockton timeout. The Ospreys look sharp out of the timeout, tying the set at 13-13. The teams began to trade points up to 15-15. A Makenzie Adams service ace started a small Falcon run which included a Cassidy Dell kill and two kills from Cynthia Boller to put Messiah up 20-16. Messiah would hold onto the lead behind kills from Leah Youtzy and Sydney Wolfe, taking the second set 25-22.
 
Set Three
Messiah kept the momentum from the end of the second set to start the third with an early 6-1 lead behind kills from Sydney Wolfe and Leah Youtzy, and a service ace from Claire Marzolino. A kill by Makenzie Adams made it 7-2 Falcons, before Stockton got back into it after a few aces, trailing 7-8. Stockton kept their momentum up, taking a 10-9 lead before a Cynthia Boller kill tied it at ten. Cassidy Dell, Cynthia Boller, and Sydney Wolfe each added kills as the teams traded points. Tied at 15, the Falcons went on a run to take a 18-15 lead. The Falcons racked up two more kills for the set from Leah Youtzy and Cynthia Boller to win the set 25-21, taking a two set to one lead.
 
Set Four
Sydney Wolfe started the fourth set with another kill for Messiah. The teams went back and forth to start the set, with the score being tied at five after kills by Claire Marzolino and Makenzie Adams. Cassidy Dell added a kill to make it 6-5, Messiah. Stockon won six of the next seven points to take a 11-7 team. Stockton kept up the good play, leading by five halfway through the set. With Stockton up 14-9, Sydney Wolfe added two more kills to her total, and Ellie Hansen scored a service ace to make it 15-14, Ospreys. Katie Quesenberry and Cynthia Boller each added another kill as the teams traded points late in the set. A Cassidy Dell ace gave the Falcons the lead back at 19-18. Leah Youtzy scored a kill and service ace to keep the Falcons in front 22-20. Sydney Wolfe added one final kill, and Cassidy Dell scored the final two kills of the day, giving Messiah the fourth set 25-22, and the match 3-1.
 
Stats
Cynthia Boller led the Falcons with 11 kills. Sydney Wolfe added ten kills. Makenzie Adams had 13 digs for Messiah. Erin Eby added 12 digs. Cassidy Dell had six kills and 11 digs. Leah Youtzy had six kills and four block assists.
 
Up Next
The Falcons host Lancaster Bible College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10.