LANGHORNE (PA) – Delaware Valley University hit the road on Thursday night and dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Cairn University.

Set scores were 24-26, 26-24, 25-18, 23-25 and 15-9 in favor of the Highlanders, who improved to 3-14. The Aggies fell to 3-10 with three matches remaining on their schedule.

Neither team had a lead larger than four points in the opening set. DelVal led 24-22, but the Highlanders staved off two set points. A Cairn service error brought up another set points and Taylor Klecan's kill sealed it for the Aggies.

In the second, DelVal trailed 9-6 before running off six straight points. It led 18-13 before the Highlanders rallied to tie it. The Aggies had a set point opportunity at 24-23, but Cairn scored three straight to take the set.

The Highlanders led for most of the third set, finishing it off at 25-18. However, DelVal came back in the fourth and tied the match as a Kayla Bracken kill was the final point in a 25-23 set.
In the decisive fifth, the Aggies scored the first three points but Cairn got seven of the next 11 to tie at 7-7. Kills by Klecan and Danielle McKelvey gave DelVal the lead, but the Highlanders went on to score eight straight points to take the set, 15-9, and the match.

Klecan had her best night of the season as the senior notched 14 kills and 19 digs. Bracken added 11 kills, four aces and two blocks while Kate Woolsey had eight kills and 18 digs. McKelvey had 40 assists, 17 digs, three aces and two blocks in the setback.

Cairn was led by Haley Sheehan's 15 kills and 25 digs.

DelVal will have its final home match of the season on Tuesday, October 17 (7 p.m.) when it hosts Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe Wilkes University.