ANNVILLE, Pa. ­­– The Lebanon Valley College volleyball team defeated Arcadia University 3-1 in the program's first Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom match, on Wednesday night at Sorrentino Gymnasium. 

The Flying Dutchmen (6-4, 1-0 MAC Freedom) took down the Knights (1-8, 0-1 MAC Freedom) in four sets, extending their winning streak to three matches. Lebanon Valley won the first two sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-13, while Arcadia took set three 25-20. LVC closed out the match by winning the fourth set 25-23. Junior Robyn Stepler played a pivotal role in the match, posting 33 assists and five service aces. 

The Flying Dutchmen went ahead early in the first set, taking a 3-0 lead on the first few points of the night. Lebanon Valley claimed the advantage on kills by senior outside hitters Taylor McInerney and Kelli Heffer, as well as an attack error. LVC and Arcadia then traded points to make it a 6-4 set in favor of the home squad. Lebanon Valley then went on a 10-0 run, taking a commanding 16-4 lead over the Knights. This dominant stretch can be attributed to two kills by sophomore outside hitter Mattea Penner, an ace and a kill by first-year middle blocker Teaguen Reynolds and a kill by McInerney. There were also four attack errors and a ball handling error during this offensive run. Arcadia attempted to get back into the set by recording eight of the next 15 points, making it a 23-12 set in favor of LVC. The Dutchmen then registered two straight points on a kill by senior libero Kasey Thomas and a service ace by Stepler, securing the 25-12 victory in set one. 

Lebanon Valley and Arcadia went back-and-forth at the beginning of the second set, exchanging points until the score was 11-11. The Flying Dutchmen received offensive contributions from several players during this stretch, as Heffer Penner and Reynolds each tallied a kill and McInerney recorded two kills. LVC then recorded five straight points, taking a 16-11 advantage in the set. The team went ahead on kills by Penner and senior middle hitter Olivia Nace, an ace by junior Abigail Souder, a ball handling error and a service error. The programs followed this by trading points to advance the score to 18-13 in favor of the Dutchmen. Lebanon Valley then delivered seven consecutive points to win the second set 25-13. LVC took a 2-0 lead over Arcadia in the match after a stretch that included three kills by Reynolds and two kills by McInerney. 

The Dutchmen and Knights also battled throughout the third set, as each program held the lead. Lebanon Valley jumped out to an early 4-1 advantage, courtesy of an ace by Stepler, an attack error and kills by McInerney and Reynolds. Arcadia followed this with a 12-5 stretch, taking a 13-9 lead in the set. The Flying Dutchmen continued to compete, tying the Knights 19-19 later in the third. The team evened the score partly due to three kills by McInerney, two kills by Penner and a kill by Heffer. Ultimately, Arcadia would go on to take the set 25-20 and narrow Lebanon Valley's lead in the match to 2-1.

LVC and Arcadia delivered another competitive set in the fourth, swapping the lead on nine occasions. The teams were tied at 3-3 early in the set, before the Flying Dutchmen took a 5-3 advantage on two kills by Reynolds. The squads then continued to trade points until the set was even at 13-all. Lebanon Valley followed this with a service ace by Stepler and an attack error to go ahead 15-13. Arcadia then reclaimed its advantage on a 5-1 stretch, taking an 18-16 lead in the fourth. The Flying Dutchmen later trailed 22-17 but got right back into the set by responding with four consecutive points to trim their deficit to one. This stretch was the result of kills by Penner and Stepler, along with two attack errors. The score then advanced to 23-21 in favor of Arcadia, before Lebanon Valley went on a 4-0 run to win the fourth set and the match. The Dutchmen went ahead 25-23 on a service error and two attack errors, before sophomore middle hitter Margaret Cole recorded a kill to secure the 3-1 match victory. 

Inside the Box Score:

• Lebanon Valley has won three consecutive matches. The victory over Arcadia marks the program's first win as a member of the MAC Freedom. 
• Stepler led the Flying Dutchmen with 33 assists and five aces. 
• McInerney led team with 17 kills. 
• Thomas recorded the most digs for LVC, tallying 11. 
• Reynolds led LVC with three blocks during the match. She also had eight kills. 

Up Next
Lebanon Valley's next matchup is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, as the program is slated to take on Lancaster Bible College at the Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center, on the campus of Hood College in Frederick, Md. Then at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the team will face off against Hood. 

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