ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley volleyball team overcame a slow start to force a fifth set with DeSales University on Wednesday evening before the visiting Bulldogs were able to come away with a 3-2 victory over the Dutchmen at Sorrentino Gymnasium.
 
The Dutchmen (10-12, 3-2 MAC Freedom) struggled in the opening set against DeSales (12-11, 4-1 MAC Freedom). After starting the match on a Jillian Jefferys point, the Bulldogs scored 11 of the next 16 points. Mattea Penner got the squad to a four-point deficit before DSU answered with the next five points. Penner stopped the run again with a point before a 7-0 rally from the visitors. LVC was briefly able to keep the set alive with three of the next four points. A service error gave the Bulldogs the final point they needed to take the opening set. The Dutchmen had issues with errors during the set recording 10 attack errors and two service errors.
 
LVC came out strong to begin the second set as Penner and Jefferys scored three of the first five points. The Bulldogs responded with a 4-1 run before LVC was able to tie the set at six on a Libby Lindau point. DSU led 10-7 when LVC used a big 8-1 run to take a 15-11 lead. Teaguen Reynolds and Lindau began the rally with a block, and the Dutchmen received points from four different players. The Dutchmen increased the advantage to six points behind a kill by Riley Mack and an ace from Reynolds. DeSales cut it to four before points from Margaret Cole and Penner started a four-point rally to push the Dutchmen to 23 points. The Bulldogs kept hopes alive with a big rally before Cole and Penner scored the final two points of the set to tie the match with a 25-21 LVC win.
 
DeSales kept some of the momentum they built up at the end of the second set and rolled it over into the third, winning eight of the first 11 points. The Dutchmen called a timeout and responded with five of the next six points to cut the deficit to 9-8. Cole started the run while Reynolds had two points, and Penner put away a feed from Jasmine Sullivan to make it a one-point advantage. Five points later, Penner was able to tie the set at 11 with an ace. DSU countered with a 6-1 run to retake a five-point lead. The Dutchmen battled back, but the Bulldogs were able to keep the five-point lead until they led 22-17. Reynolds recorded a point, and then back-to-back attack errors cut the deficit to two. The Bulldogs got to set point on a pair of points before Mack and Jefferys kept the Dutchmen alive with points. DSU scored the next point to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Penner scored the first two points of the fourth set before DeSales scored six of the next eight. A pair of errors by the Bulldogs tied the set up. DSU scored the next three points and had a 10-7 advantage when LVC used a 6-2 run to take a 13-12 lead. The teams traded short runs as a pair of points from Mack and a Sullivan ace put the Dutchmen up 18-16. The Bulldogs scored a point, and then LVC closed the set strongly with the next seven points. Cole started the run as Lyla Arfanella had a strong serve with one ace while Lindau had a pair of kills.
 
LVC came out strong to start the fifth set as Penner and Reynolds got the Dutchmen out to a 5-3 advantage. The Bulldogs responded with four of the next five points and then got to eight first. The Dutchmen tied the set at eight before the Bulldogs scored five consecutive points. LVC was able to cut the lead to 13-9 before DSU ended the match on a pair of points.
 
Inside the Box

• Reynolds had a strong night with seven kills on 15 attacks, two aces, and three total blocks.
• Penner finished with a team-high 14 kills, three aces, and 15 digs.
• Mack recorded 10 kills and a block assist.
• Cole had a team-high .417 hitting percentage with six kills and two block assists.
• Jefferys finished with seven kills while Lindau had six.
• Sofia Okronley had a team-high 22 assists and seven digs. Sullivan added 18 assists and seven digs.

Up Next
The Dutchmen head out to Huntingdon on Saturday for a big-time match against three-time defending national champion and fifth-ranked Juniata College. Game time against the Eagles inside Memorial Gymnasium is scheduled for 2 p.m., following Juniata's conference match against Wilkes University.

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