ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley volleyball team had a close battle with defending MAC Freedom Champion Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday evening at Sorrentino Gymnasium as the Ducks were able to edge the Dutchmen 3-1 in a tightly contested affair.
 
All four sets in the match were a back-and-forth affair with Stevens (7-6, 1-1 MAC Freedom) winning the first, third, and fourth sets by scores of 25-22, 26-24, and 25-21. LVC (5-11, 1-1 MAC Freedom) won the second set 25-23 and had leads in all four sets.
 
The Dutchmen got off to an excellent start with the first three points of the match. Teaguen Reynolds put away the first point, Sofia Okronley had an ace, and then Mattea Penner added a point. The Ducks responded with the next three points to tie things up. Penner stopped the run for the Dutchmen. LVC was able to get the advantage back up to three points as Mack put away an overpass, and then Reynolds recorded an ace. The Dutchmen were up 8-6 when the Ducks used a 5-1 rally to take their first lead of the night. The Ducks slowly began to build the advantage and got up as much as five at 19-14. Libby Lindau had back-to-back points to close the gap to three. Penner, Lyla Arfanella, and Reynolds got the Dutchmen within one at 21-20. The Ducks closed out the set by winning four of the next six points.
 
Stevens used the momentum and started the second set with eight of the first 10 points. Jillian Jefferys and Lindau had back-to-back points. Lindau added two more points, including a big block. Penner continued the run, and then an attack error made it a one-point set at 9-8. The Ducks scored the next two points before Lindau and a pair of Penner points tied the set. The teams traded 4-0 runs as the score remained tied at 15-15. Penner started a 5-2 run to get LVC to 20 points first. Riley Mack had a couple of points during the run. Stevens rallied to tie the set at 21. Margaret Cole put the Dutchmen back up by one, and then Kylie Nagle recorded an ace. Stevens answered with the next two points before a service error gave LVC a set point. Penner then tied the match with her eighth kill of the set.
 
The Ducks scored first in the third set and took a 4-2 lead. The Dutchmen answered with the next five points, starting with a Mack point and back-to-back aces from Jasmine Sullivan. Cole had a big block in the run. Stevens countered with the next four points to retake the lead. The Dutchmen tied the set on a service error and then won five of the next six points. Nagle had a pair of aces to run the advantage up to 13-9. The teams traded points, and the Ducks slowly started to cut into the deficit. They used a 6-3 run to tie the set at 18. The Dutchmen got to 20 first and held a 21-20 advantage when Stevens scored three straight points. The Dutchmen answered right back and tied the set at 24 on a Mack point. Stevens was able to score the next point and then took the set on a service ace that hit the net and fell between diving Dutchmen.
 
The Dutchmen used a Jefferys point and a Penner ace to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth set. The Ducks used a 6-3 run to go up 7-5. LVC responded with a huge 7-1 rally to take a 12-8 advantage. Penner had a pair of back-to-back blocks that gave the Dutchmen the lead during the run. Stevens countered with a 5-1 run to tie the set up at 13.  A service error and a Reynolds block put the Dutchmen up, but Stevens scored seven of the next eight points to get to 20 first. Lindau, Penner, and then a block by Lindau got the Dutchmen within two at 22-20. The Ducks scored the next two points and three of the final four points to take the set and the match.
 
Inside the Box

• Penner led the Dutchmen with 19.5 points on 17 kills, one ace, and two total blocks. She also added 10 digs and one assist. Penner had three kills in every set except the second, in which she had a match-high eight. It is the fifth straight match she has had double-digit kills and digs.
• Lindau had 15.0 points on 13 kills and two solo blocks. She was one kill off her season high.
• Jefferys had 13.0 points on a career-high 13 kills and five digs. She had four kills in the first and third sets.
• Mack finished with nine kills and three digs for nine points. She equaled her season-high kill number.
• Reynolds had three kills, one ace, one solo block, and three digs.
• Sullivan had 28 assists and two aces, while Okronley recorded 23 assists and one ace. They combined for 20 digs, with Okronley recording 12.
• Nagle led the team with 18 digs and three aces.
• Cole had a team-high three total blocks and two kills.
• The Dutchmen recorded 58 kills, their second-most of the season in a match, with 54 assists. They also recorded 73.0 points, which is the second-most of the year. Both of their top kills and points totals have come in their two home matches at Sorrentino Gymnasium.

Up Next
Lebanon Valley will be back in Sorrentino Gymnasium on Saturday, where they will face former MAC Commonwealth rival Eastern University in the first meeting since LVC moved over to the MAC Freedom. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m. against the Eagles.

Stay Connected
Be sure to follow @lvcathletics on Instagram, X, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of LVC Athletics.