HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- Houghton men's volleyball treated the hometown fans to a thrilling come from behind win over Wells College on Wednesday.

The Highlanders won 3-2 (27-25, 14-25, 17-25, 27-25, 15-13).

This one didn't come easy for the host team. The Highlanders and Express went to extra points in the opening set before Houghton slipped away with a 27-25 victory. But any momentum from the victory was lost in sets two and three as the Express took both wins and had the Highlanders on the ropes with a 2-1 lead.

Houghton, however, found a way to respond in the fourth set, but this one would go the distance. The teams traded points throughout, with neither gaining much of an edge. Houghton was able to pull ahead 19-17, but again the Express turned the tables and used a 6-1 run to go up 23-20. With Wells up 24-22 and the match in their hands, Houghton got a kill by Elijah Sproull and took advantage of two Wells errors to go up 25-24. Wells tied the game at 25 before Houghton got another Sproull kill and another Wells error to take the game 27-25 and tie the match at two games apiece.

The visitors took it to Houghton early in the final set, going up 5-1, and looked like they were ready to take the match. But Houghton again dug deep, scoring five-straight points with a kill by Gabriel Lucena and four by Sproull. The teams would go point for point down the stretch. With the tied at 13, Lucena gave the Highlanders match point, and the Highlanders came away with the win on a final attack error by the Express.

Sproull had a monster performance, tallying 21 kills, 19 assists, five blocks and five digs. Lucena finished with nine kills and seven digs, Jerry Buno had a season-high 32 assists while adding 12 digs. Anthony Panboon finished with a team-high 23 digs, while Luke George contributed six kills and a team-high six blocks. Devin Tullar had seven kills on a team-best .313 hitting percentage.

"Tonight's five-set fight against Wells was one we will forever remember," said Head Coach Lindsay Seddon. "Being the first win on our home court, the team came out tonight ready to fight. They played together through the highs and lows, and the final set showed just how capable they have become."

The team has a break before returning to the court when they travel to Wells on Wednesday, March 6.