THE OVERVIEW

• Results: Maranatha 3-2 Widener (24-26, 24-26, 25-20, 25-14, 21-19), Maranatha 0-3 Messiah (20-25, 12-25, 18-25)
• Venue: Schwartz Center, Widener University
• Attendance: 60, 70
• Record: Sabercats are now 4-20
• Next Match for MBU: Saturday, Mar. 24 at Lancaster Tri (Pa.) - 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. EDT

THE LEAD

CHESTER, Pa. — Down 0-2 in a nail-biting marathon of a first match, the Sabercats came storming back to take a determined win over Widener before falling to Messiah to finish the day at 1-1.

The win in the first match was the Sabercats' second in as many days on this spring trip, as they seem to be peaking to conclude a memorable first season of intercollegiate varsity competition.

THE STORY

The first match lasted over 2 hours, and it was a bona fide war - 3 of the sets were extended editions.

Widener took the first 2 sets by the same scoreline, 24-26, as they recorded 31 kills in the 2 sets combined to make a commanding opening statement. 

In the first set, the Sabercats held the lead for the better part of the contest, but the Pride stayed right there, as the hosts refused to give Maranatha more than a 3-point lead at any point. The MBU scoring was fueled by the usual mainstays: Andrew Carpenter, Luke Hassenplug, Devon Steuerwald and Derek Wallis were the key elements of a balanced attack for MBU. The foursome recorded all of the Maranatha kills in the first set. 

Despite pressure from MBU and a match-tying kill from Carpenter to make it 24-24, Widener completed their comeback by scoring 2 unanswered points to take the 26-24 win in the opening set.

A key moment in the second set was a 7-0 run from WU in the middle stages - a run that forced Torey Rosen to call a timeout after the hosts went up 12-8. From then on, the set was tight until the end, as kills from Wallis and Tim Kile kept the Sabercats within striking distance. But in déjà vu fashion, the Pride notched 2 unanswered points to go up 2-0 - 1 set away from winning the match.

In the third set, the Pride looked to be on their way to the win, as they started the set with a 4-0 run. The hosts would go on to hold the lead until the scoreboard read 15-14 in favor of the Pride.

Cue the comeback.

Four kills from Wallis in the closing stages of the set sparked an 11-5 run to give the Sabercats a lifeline. After the 25-20 win, the match was now 1-2 in favor of Widener. 

With characteristic grit, coupled with newfound momentum, the Sabercats took the match by the reigns in the fourth set, as they dominated the late stages of the frame to take an 11-point win in the set (25-14). The fourth frame was the cleanest this year for the Sabercats, as the team hit 13-2-24 for a .458 attack percentage. The usual 4 were joined by Brendan Burckart, as the Sabercats showed they not only had precision, but the depth to match it.

The final set (of course) was extended, as the Sabercats ultimately closed out the thrilling match with a thrilling 21-19 win. 

It was nerve-wracking for the Sabercats late on, as they were 1 point away from losing the match on 3 different occasions. Finally, a kill from Hassenplug was part of a 3-0 run that snatched the win right out of Widener's hand. After 2 hours of exciting action, MBU had win number 2 from this spring trip.

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As could be reasonably expected, the Sabercats were a tad sluggish in the match that followed. The Falcons of Messiah College came to Widener for just the lone match, and they came to win. Messiah recorded 40 kills while limiting the Sabercats to 50 points in the 3-set excursion.

The first set was the closest one of the match, as 3 early kills from Carpenter allowed the Sabercats to hang on. But as the set went on, so to did Messiah's lead. After a tight opener, the Falcons walked away with a 25-20 win.

The final 2 sets saw the Falcons skillfully expose the Sabercats' fatigue, as Messiah dominated until the end, holding Maranatha to just 30 points in the final 2 frames. Messiah boasted an attack percentage of above .500 over the final 2 sets, as their attack proved to be too much to handle for MBU.

THE NUMBERS

Carpenter tied his career-high mark of 11 kills in the Widener match.

Wallis recorded a career-second-best 19 kills against WU and another dozen against Messiah. Wallis was the only player for Maranatha to record double-digit kills in both matches.

Steuerwald had a career-second-best 10 kills against WU as well.

Kile made the most of playing in his home state, as he notched a career-high 45 assists against WU and another 19 against Messiah.

MBU recorded a season-high 55 kills and a season-second-best 60 digs against Widener.

Hassenplug's mark of 10 kills against the Pride ties his career best.

THE CALENDAR

The Sabercats will conclude their spring trip at the Lancaster Triangular tomorrow at 11 a.m. Eastern. Catch the details at mbusabercats.com/composite.