The Misericordia University volleyball team rallied for a 3-2 win over Nazareth in a battle of nationally-ranked teams in the opening round of the Messiah Invitational, Friday.

After dropping the first two sets, the 14^th-ranked Cougars won three straight to down 17^th-ranked Nazareth.

Jared Piontkowski had 18 kills and six blocks and Anthony DePalma had 18 kills and five blocks.

Thomas Young had 13 kills and two aces and Benjamin Clendening had six blocks.

Gannon DeFrain had 46 assists and 10 digs and Jackson Fehnel had 16 digs.

Nazareth took the first two sets, 25-23, 25-22, to set up MU's rally.

Nazareth took its biggest lead of the third set, 19-15, but DePalma had two kills to fuel a 5-1 run to pull MU even, 20-20.

The Cougars had three set-points before Piontkowski and Young had kills to close out a 31-29 win.

Piontkowski had two kills to break a 19-19 tie and Clendening and DePalma had kills to clinch a 25-22 win.

MU jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never trailed in the finale.

DePalma had two kills in a 3-1 spurt to end the match.