OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Catholic sophomore Halie Murphy logged a career-high 27 kills as the Cardinals dropped Wednesday evening's non-conference contest at Stevenson, 3-1. 

Murphy became the fifth player in Catholic volleyball history to tally 27 or more kills in a four-set match. She hit .316 for the match and surpassed her previous career-high by four kills. 

The Cardinals put forth a massive comeback effort, taking the third set and nearly stealing the fourth after dropping the first two sets on Wednesday night. 

The Mustangs took the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-20 before Catholic ripped off a 25-23 third-set win. 

The Cardinal defense locked in during the set, holding Stevenson to just a .114 hitting percentage in the set. 

Stevenson led 14-11 after back-to-back attack errors from the Cardinals in the third, but Catholic scored four of the next five points to tie the set at 15-15. The Mustangs once again jumped ahead, picking up a three-point lead after a Darian Dildy kill put them up 22-19. Heather Stout's team took the next four points to grab a 23-22 lead. Stevenson tied it, but a Murphy kill put Catholic ahead 24-23 before Murphy and Erin Faughnan combined for a block to give the Cardinals the set. 

Catholic jumped ahead 10-7 in the fourth set after an Izzy Steinberg ace. Faughnan picked up a kill to put the Cardinals up 17-14 a few moments later before Stevenson took the next three points to tie the set. Aileen McPartland added an ace for the Cardinals to put them up 19-17, but the Mustangs ripped off five of six points to give a 22-20 lead to Stevenson after an Alexandra Fisher kill. The Cardinals kept up the fight, tying the set at 22 on Murphy's 26th kill of the night. Both teams traded a pair of points to sit at a 24-24 deadlock before the Mustangs took the final two points.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Blondin chipped in with 12 kills and nine digs on the night for Catholic while Sheppard continued her outstanding season with 39 assists and seven digs. 
• Defensively, Gaby Hernandez-Ferraiuoli totaled 30 digs to lead the way for Catholic. Brynne Burgess and Steinberg had 11 each for Catholic while Grace Guerin and Murphy each notched three blocks. 
• Blondin went over 100 total points for the season (102) with her 96 kills still leading the team. 
• Hernandez-Ferraiuoli went over 100 digs on the season (118) and was just four digs shy of her career-high.

Catholic will host Eastern Mennonite and Gwynedd Mercy on Saturday afternoon for a tri-match on Franny Murray Court.