GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Muhlenberg College came out on top in a key Centennial Conference volleyball match Saturday afternoon, knocking off the host Bullets 3-1 inside Bream Gym.
 
Gettysburg (15-5, 4-3 CC) avoided a sweep after Muhlenberg (15-6, 5-2 CC), coached by former Bullet Amanda Krampf '10, won the opening two sets, but the comeback fell short as the Mules clinched the decision with scores of 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, and 25-22.
 
The hosts broke out to early leads in each of the opening two contests, netting the first four points in set one and taking a 4-1 edge in set two. Trailing by six (10-4) in the opening set, Muhlenberg steadily chipped away at the deficit and forced a 16-all tie on a kill by Kelly Tornetta. The lead changed hands five times over the next several minutes until Maggie Enestvedt and Tornetta sealed the win with kills for the final two points.
 
Set two followed a similar script except this time the Mules did not relinquish the lead after jumping in front 11-10. The advantage grew to as many as six down the stretch.
 
Muhlenberg was cruising in the third set and pulled away by eight (17-9). Gettysburg refused to back down, mounting a 10-2 run to tie the match on an ace by junior Caroline Sequeira (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills). The Bullets surged in front 22-20 on an ace and a kill by freshman Jordyn Horowitz (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) before sophomore Allie Stranick (Havertown, Pa./Mernio Mercy) shut the door with back-to-back kills.
 
The Mules jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth and final set. Gettysburg trimmed the margin down to one twice in the frame, but the visitors maintained the upper hand and finished out the victory with a block by Madison Forrest and Enestvedt.
 
Sequeira, who came into the match as the conference leader in digs per set, put up 29 digs to pace the Bullets defensively. Stranick put up a double-double for the fourth time in her last five matches, tallying 13 kills and a dozen digs. Junior Francesca Garison (Metuchen, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) posted 11 kills and Horowitz finished with nine. Junior Shannon Fletcher (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) posted seven total blocks.
 
Freshman Sarah Ellis (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) recorded 22 assists and three aces.
 
Three players reached double-figure kills for Muhlenberg with Tara Register leading the way with 19. Enestvedt added 15 kills, while Tornetta produced 11. Shannon Hubert dished out 51 assists and posted 13 digs. Maya Illovsky led the defense with 27 digs.
 
Gettysburg hosts Shenandoah University in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.