NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – A promising opening to a three-match Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference home stand wound up with Manchester University being on the short end of the scoreboard Friday, Oct. 2.

The Spartans, falling to 6-10 overall and 1-2 in the league, gave the large crowd inside Stauffer-Wolfe Arena plenty to cheer about early against visiting Transylvania University. MU bolted out to a 7-1 lead and led by as much as 10 points in route to a 26-24 decision. It looked as if it was going to be more of the same in the second set, as the Black and Gold opened a 5-0 lead and held the advantage throughout. However, the Pioneers (11-4, 1-0 HCAC) rallied and picked up the final three points on an ace serve and a pair of attack errors to even the match with a 28-26 final.

From that point, TU's offense shifted into high gear. The visitors hit at a .324 clip in the third set and .306 in the fourth set to close out the 24-26, 28-26, 25-15, 25-12 decision.

Junior outside hitter Courtney Chowning (Yorktown, Ind.) and senior middle hitter Morgan Pavelka (Noblesville, Ind.) led the Spartans' offense. Chowning drilled a team-best 12 kills at the visiting defense to go with 11 digs and three blocks, one of which was solo. Pavelka proved a strong weapon with 11 kills and a blistering .391 attack percentage to go along with a solo block and three assisted stuffs.

Manchester University goes back to action Saturday, Oct. 3. Hanover College comes to North Manchester for a 3 p.m. first serve.

NOTES: Chowning compiled her seventh double-double of the season. She goes into the final contest of a three-match week with back-to-back such efforts … Pavelka has a run of three straight .300-or-higher attack percentage outings, while freshman setter Dakota Stanichuk (Troy, Mich.) has reeled off at least one ace serve in four consecutive matches … Freshman middle hitter Hannah Tevis' consistency in net defense continues, too. She's had at least one solo or assisted block in all but one match with multiple total blocks 12 times.