For some of you, it was a relaxing week at home or at the beach, others were working. Meanwhile, in the Stevenson athletics world, it was a very busy week for Mustang athletes whether competing at home or as far north as New York or as far south as Florida, Stevenson went toe to toe with teams all week long.
Baseball: Despite starting a little rough, Stevenson ended the week on a high note handing Widener their first conference loss of the season.Stevenson dropped its series opener to Hood 5-1 on Friday, despite a solid outing from Zane Stone. The Mustangs bounced back in Saturday’s doubleheader, winning game one 6-1 behind John Delgado’s complete game three-hitter, before falling 14-4 in game two. In a midweek non-conference matchup, Stevenson fell to Gettysburg 13-3, managing just two hits despite a three-run fifth inning.Widener opened their weekend series with a 10-5 win Friday, but Stevenson responded in Saturday’s doubleheader with a thrilling 7-6 walk-off victory in game two, thanks to Liam Houghton’s pinch-hit single. Widener took game one 4-0, while Collin Palmieri went 4-for-4 in the Mustangs’ comeback win. They return to the mound on Wednesday when they host Notre Dame of Maryland University at 3:30.
Men’s Lacrosse: The Stevenson men’s lacrosse team had an impressive showing at the inaugural Callum Robinson Mustang Classic, opening with a 14-8 win over No. 16 Lynchburg behind hat tricks from Darrell Curtis and Max Racich. The Mustangs followed up with a thrilling 11-10 victory over No. 12 St. Lawrence, as Curtis scored the game-winner with just over three minutes remaining and Tyler Merchant made 16 saves in goal. However, Stevenson couldn’t maintain the momentum against No. 2 Salisbury, falling 24-9 on Saturday. Hunter Bryant led the Mustangs with two goals and an assist, while John Martin Vince and Camden Deming each tallied their first collegiate goals. Stevenson will travel for their last non-conference match of the season to Elizabethtown College. Face-off is set for 7 p.m.
Men’s Volleyball: The Stevenson University men’s volleyball team had a strong week, winning two conference matchups and dropping one non-conference contest to move to 12-7 overall and 3-2 in the MAC. After falling 3-0 to Lancaster Bible despite solid efforts from Anthony Pezzino and Tim Flanagan, the Mustangs bounced back with a 3-0 sweep of Arcadia, led by Flanagan’s 15 kills and Connor Roth’s 26 assists. On Friday, Stevenson continued its momentum with a dominant 3-0 win over King’s, hitting .323 overall and an impressive .640 in the final set. Flanagan posted 16 kills and three aces in the win, while Pezzino added 15 kills and eight digs. Roth dished out 34 assists, and JD Sarmuksnis led the defense with nine digs. The Mustangs now turn their focus to hosting Hood on Wednesday as they push toward a spot in the MAC playoffs. They return to action on Wednesday when they host MAC conference opponent Hood College.
Men’s Tennis: The men’s tennis team opened its spring break trip with a 7-0 loss to Millikin, though Delano Sagne Mengo and Nate Kelly secured a 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles. The Mustangs bounced back with a strong 6-1 victory over Ripon College, highlighted by singles wins from Luke Appleman, Simeon Smith, and Dominic Duncan, along with doubles victories from Appleman/Smith and Mengo/Kelly. In a competitive matchup with Nazareth, Stevenson fell 5-2. Appleman earned his third singles win of the season at No. 1, while Duncan rallied for a three-set victory at No. 3. The trip concluded with a 7-0 loss to Illinois Tech, as Smith and Appleman dropped a close 6-3 match in No. 1 doubles and fell in straight sets in singles. Stevenson (2-6) returns to action on March 28 in a non-conference match at Gettysburg.
Men’s Ice Hockey: Men’s Hockey made history this season, earning its first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance after a 4-1 win over top-seeded Wilkes in the MAC Championship. Aiden Lindley and Caden Smith scored early to give the Mustangs momentum, while Ford DeLoss made 24 saves and was named MAC Tournament MVP. In their NCAA debut, Stevenson battled hard but fell 3-1 to No. 4 SUNY Geneseo. DeLoss stood tall with a career-high 39 saves, and Evan Beers scored the lone Mustang goal on a power play. Despite the loss, Stevenson showcased its resilience and defensive grit, with standout efforts from Jack Costabile, Liam McCanney, and Graeme McCrory. The Mustangs finished the season with a strong 18-8-2 record, marking a milestone year for the program.
Softball: The Stevenson University softball team is off to its best start in program history, improving to 11-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play after a strong showing over the past week. The Mustangs picked up dominant wins over Maine-Presque Isle, St. Joe’s (Long Island), and Maine-Farmington, highlighted by explosive offense and standout pitching performances from Angelica Gurevich and Alexis Kirkessner. Stevenson’s only two losses came in close games against Oswego State and Widener, including a walk-off in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader. In the nightcap, Kirkessner tossed a one-hitter to shut out Widener 7-0, helping the team bounce back in a big way. With consistent contributions up and down the lineup, the Mustangs are proving themselves as a serious contender this season. They return to the circle to face MAC opponent Hood College, first pitch set for 3 p.m.
Women’s Beach Volleyball: Stevenson Women’s Beach Volleyball wrapped up a competitive spring break trip in Florida, finishing with a 5-4 record. The Mustangs opened the week against Florida Southern, dropping both matches, but notched a win in the first match from Maddie Clouser and Hannah Naja. They bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Webber International after a 5-0 loss to Saint Leo, with clutch three-set wins coming from Clouser/Naja, Kahoussi/Viglietta, and Foose/Lenz. On their final day, Stevenson split once again—falling 3-2 in a rematch with Webber but edging Lake Sumter Community College 3-2 to close out the trip on a high note. They return to the courts Friday & Saturday when they face Liberty University, University of Lynchburg, Richard Bland College and Southern Virginia Univerisity.
Women’s Lacrosse: The Stevenson women’s lacrosse team wrapped up its spring break trip in Florida with a 1-1 record, moving to 5-4 on the season. They opened the week with a dominant 19-10 win over Nazareth, led by Erin Steinberg’s seven-point performance, four goals from Sophia Murray, and hat tricks from Kara Yarusso and Ava Treakle. The Mustangs followed that with a hard-fought 13-5 loss to No. 8 Wesleyan, where Steinberg again led the offense with two goals and goalie Regan Torbert made 12 saves. Despite the setback, Stevenson showed strong offensive depth and defensive effort as they now turn their focus to a road matchup at Neumann on Tuesday at 3:30 pm.
Women’s Tennis: The Stevenson women’s tennis team opened spring break with a 7-0 forfeit win over Millikin University (Ill.), but the teams still played out several matches, including a 7-5 No. 1 doubles win by Ariella Stepleman and Shelby Carter and a No. 3 singles victory by Kara Chwang and overall winning 5-2. On day two, the Mustangs fell 4-3 to Ripon College (Wis.), with Stepleman and Carter winning in No. 1 doubles and all three singles wins coming from Carter, Stepleman, and Chwang. Stevenson closed out the trip with another close 4-3 loss to Illinois Tech, as Stepleman and Carter earned their seventh doubles win of the season and Chwang picked up her third straight singles victory. The Mustangs dropped several close singles matches throughout the trip but showed strong performances in doubles and consistent improvement. Stevenson (3-4) returns to action on Friday, March 28, with a non-conference road match at Gettysburg.
Acro & Tumbling: The Stevenson University acrobatics and tumbling team achieved their first win of the season, splitting a tri-meet against American International College and Georgian Court University on March 19. They continued their success by securing a 170.150-165.875 victory over Buffalo State University on March 21. The team showcased significant improvements in various events, including setting a new program-high score in the toss event. The week concluded with a senior day celebration honoring Alexis Gross for her contributions to the program. They will return to the mats to face Morgan State University on April 4th.
