(Photo courtesy of Patty Morgan Photography)

GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- The Gwynedd Mercy Volleyball Team went five sets with Clarks Summit but came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat Tuesday evening at The Griffin Complex. Set scores were 25-16, 26-28, 15-25, 25-14, 19-17.

Madelyn Mosser tallied up 13 kills while adding eight digs, four aces and a block. Cait Saalfrank had 31 of the team's 88 digs, a match high while Kerry McGlinn produced a double-double (14 assists/15 digs).

The Griffins were able to shake off a slow first set and looked to go down 0-2 in the second before a huge rally at set point helped even things at 1-1 Gwynedd led 15-13 in that second set before the Defenders ran off nine points in a row. Now facing set point at 24-19, GMercyU used a little magic of their own, putting together five-straight points of their own to knot it up at 24-24. Tied at 26-26, Kaylee Craig registered back-to-back kills for the 28-26 victory in set two.

In the third, Gwynedd used a 15-5 spurt keyed by Mosser's six kills in the frame to end the set and go ahead two games to one.

Kara Brown, who recorded 31 kills on the night, helped keep Clarks Summit alive in the fourth as she racked up seven enders as CSU scored the first six points and did not look back to force a fifth and deciding set.

A wild fifth set featured eight ties and four lead changes, but unfortunately for Gwynedd, those came with them leading 14-10 with one point to go to close it out. Clarks Summit fought back to tie it up at 14-14. Brown notched kills on four of the last five points for the Defenders to seal up the 3-2 contest.

Brown added 15 digs and two blocks. Beth Muhlenkamp added 21 digs, eight aces, and four kills.

For Gwynedd, the squad put out 18 aces, second-most this season; Mosser and Saalfrank with four each, Julianne Dove with three, and MGlinn, Liz Schule, and Natalie Danze with two each.

The Griffins get right back at it tomorrow with a match at Valley Forge.