North Manchester, Ind. - Manchester University put forth a gritty effort on Saturday night but came up short in a straight-set defeat to Mt. St. Joseph (17–25, 18–25, 25–27) inside Stauffer-Wolfe Arena. The matchup featured long rallies and multiple lead changes, with the Spartans pushing the visiting Lions to the edge in an extended third set before falling just short.

Manchester's offense produced 32 kills on a .205 hitting percentage, showing efficiency and balance throughout the lineup. Junior outside hitter Avery Ball led the charge with 15 kills and a .423 attack rate, pacing the Spartans in points and keeping Manchester in contention during each set. Adelyn Figley and Lily Lichtenbarger added key support with 6 and 4 kills respectively, while setters Morgan Howard and Mariah Forbes combined for 30 assists to keep the offense flowing.

Defensively, Manchester held strong at the net with 8 total blocks, led by contributions from Howard, Lichtenbarger, and Kaitlyn Smith. Tiffany Watterson anchored the back row with 6 digs, while the team as a whole recorded 21 digs on the night. The Spartans' serve game saw moments of success, including three aces—one each from Ball, Forbes, and Watterson—but service errors at key junctures allowed Mt. St. Joseph to regain momentum.

Despite the 3-0 result, Manchester showed resilience, particularly in the third set which featured 14 ties and several lead changes as the Spartans fought to extend the match. The effort demonstrated the team's depth and determination as they continue HCAC play. With the loss, Manchester moved to 10-8 overall and 1-1 in HCAC competition. The Spartans will look to regroup and build on their offensive rhythm as they head into the next stretch of league play.