The Friends Falcons delivered a thrilling home win Friday night, storming back from two sets down to defeat Crowley's Ridge in five (16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-11).

The night started slow for Friends, as set one saw the Falcons tied at 5-5 before the Lady Pioneers rattled off a 10-0 run to take control. Despite kills from Grace McClintock and Jayde Gonzalez, plus an ace by Emma Sargeant, costly errors handed the opener to Crowley's Ridge, 25-16. Set two was tighter, with the Falcons pulling ahead 11-8 behind Sargeant's serving and Natalie Castillo's kills. The teams battled point-for-point to 17-17, but late mistakes again hurt Friends, falling 25-21.

Down 0-2, the Falcons flipped the script and we see a newer lineup. Set three opened with a block from Natalie Castillo and the debut of Daelyn McGregor. After trailing 12-7, Friends roared back with a kill and block from McClintock, plus back-to-back blocks from Castillo, Hildebrand, and Sofia Mekelburg, surging to a 15-13 lead. From there, the Falcons controlled the set and closed it 25-18. In set four, McGregor's dig kept a rally alive early, and the Falcons built a 16-13 edge. Late kills from Mekelburg, Castillo, and Gonzalez put the set away 25-22, tying the match 2-2.

With momentum on their side, the Lady Falcons came out fearless in the fifth. Maddy Hildebrand struck first, Gabbie Taylor and Gonzalez added kills to push ahead 9-7, and Grace McClintock's tip extended the lead. Castillo and Hildebrand hammered home two more points before Taylor sealed the match with a kill, 15-11.

"Friends University Falcon Volleyball earned a hard-fought victory tonight," said Friends volleyball head coach Martin Ayin. "After our slow start, it took two sets to establish rhythm and momentum. This team responded with resilience, turning the match in the third set and carrying that energy through to secure a five-set win." 

Friends finished the night led by Castillo's 18 kills, Taylor's 13, and Hildebrand's 12. Sargeant dished out 27 assists and added an ace at a key moment, while McClintock chipped in four kills in her return.