Marian University rallied from two sets down and the Lakeland University men's volleyball team came out on the wrong end of a long battle again with a five-set loss Friday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Sabres came all the way back after losing the first two sets, eventually winning 17-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 18-16 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match. Marian turned the tables after a loss to the Muskies just last month and defeated Lakeland for the first time in five meetings.

The Sabres (7-11 overall, 2-5 NACC) returned the favor after the Muskies had performed the exact same feat in the teams' first meeting. Marian won the first two sets in that matchup before Lakeland won the final three sets for the win.

This time, Lakeland (4-11 overall, 2-5 NACC) dominated the first two sets, hitting a superb .478 in building a 2-0 lead in the match. But what looked like a match where the Muskies were in charge turned in the third set, and then featured a couple wild swings before a dramatic finish in the deciding fifth set.

The Muskies broke out to lead at the start of the third set and still led 16-14 late, but a 7-0 run late in the set turned it around for the Sabres. Marian won the third set and the fourth too, and after a 7-1 run to start the fifth set looked to be well on its way to the win.

Improbably, Lakeland came back to score the next seven points, six coming on the serve of Cameron Ekum (Fr.-Wales, Wis.). Ekum aced the Sabres twice with serves, and a kill by Desmond Williams (Jr.-Riverside, Calif.) gave the Muskies the lead 8-7 as the teams switched sides of the court.

Lakeland eventually positioned itself for a match point at 14-13, but the Sabres fought it off, and then had three match points of their own. The Muskies fought off the first two, but couldn't do so on the third as an attack went just long at 17-16 to end the match.

Williams finished with a career-high 18 kills plus seven blocks (three solo, four assisted). Ekum also added 12 kills plus 20 assists, and Dakota Hunter (Jr.-Waukesha, Wis.) posted 17 digs. Addison Mertler (Jr.-Boca Raton, Fla.) also added 23 assists.

Aaron Wendels finished with a match-high 21 kills for Marian. Jon Smallpage added 14 kills and three service aces and Joey Dittman totaled 44 assists plus 17 digs.

Lakeland is back home for a doubleheader Saturday as it hosts Concordia University Wisconsin at 1 p.m. and then welcomes Augustana (Ill.) College for a 3 p.m. first serve.