The Houghton Highlanders notched a hard-fought AMCC road victory at Hilbert College in a five-set thriller Tuesday night. After trading set wins early, Houghton took control in the latter half of the match behind a balanced offensive attack and critical defensive stops, earning a 3-2 win in Hamburg, N.Y.

THE ESSENTIALS

Final Score: Houghton 3, Hilbert 2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-8)
Records: Houghton 3-10 (2-2 AMCC), Hilbert 2-9 (1-1 AMCC)
Location & Venue: Brad Hafner Recreation Center – Hamburg, NY
Attendance: 122

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 Control: Houghton opened strong in the first set, using an early run and consistent offense to take a 25-21 lead.
• Second Set Response: Hilbert answered in the second set, tightening up play and taking the momentum with a 25-18 win to even the match.
• Third Set Push: The Highlanders fired back in set three, attacking with depth and retaking the lead 25-21.
• Fourth Set Fight: Hilbert forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-23 fourth-set win, setting up a dramatic finish.
• Deciding Fifth: Houghton dominated the final set 15-8, earning the road victory with balanced scoring and key stops.

KEY HIGHLANDER STATS

Team Performance:

• Houghton outpaced Hilbert in kills 54-42, total points 71-53, aces 9-6, and assists 48-38.
• The Highlander defense recorded 80 digs to Hilbert's 73.

Individual Leaders:

• Jonah Sissel: Team leader with 15 kills and 11 digs.
• Devin Cline: Strong front-row attack with 13 kills.
• Michael McGlynn: Contributed 10 kills while attacking efficiently.
• Jared Wright: Defensive presence at the net with 5 blocks.
• Jerry Buno: Ran the offense with 43 assists and added a match-high 23 digs.
• Caleb Stephens: Provided offense and defense with 6 kills and 16 digs.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Highlanders return home to the Nielsen Center on Friday night for another key AMCC matchup, hosting Carlow University at 7 p.m. Houghton will look to carry the momentum from Tuesday's five-set road win into its next conference contest in front of the home crowd.