After dropping a close opening set 23–25, Manchester bounced back to even the match with a gritty 25–22 win in set two. Hanover regained momentum in the third, but the Spartans responded with their strongest frame of the afternoon, taking the fourth set 25–16 behind efficient hitting and aggressive serving. In the decisive fifth, Manchester controlled the tempo early and sealed the road victory with a 15–11 final. Avery Ball led the offensive charge with a team-high 17 kills and added 19 digs for a double-double performance. Maddi Smith provided a spark at the net with 11 kills and a .360 hitting percentage, while Lily Lichtenbarger added 12 kills and hit .241 on the outside. Setter Morgan Howard orchestrated the attack with 29 assists, three aces, and 11 digs, while Mariah Forbes contributed another 21 assists, 13 digs, and three service aces. The Spartans totaled 58 kills on a .158 attack percentage for the match.

Defensively, Manchester put together a balanced team effort with 89 total digs and solid blocking presence at the net. Watterson, Ball, and Figley anchored the back row with steady passing, while Lichtenbarger and Howard each chipped in on key front-line plays to slow Hanover's hitters down the stretch. The fourth set proved pivotal—Manchester hit .257, their best of the match, and built confidence that carried into the deciding frame. Forbes' serving run early in the fifth helped open a cushion, and late kills by Ball and Lichtenbarger sealed the Spartans' first HCAC win of the season.