BEL AIR, Md. - After dropping the first two sets, the Harford volleyball team (3-5, 2-1) forced a deciding fifth set against rival Essex (3-3, 1-1). After falling behind 7-4 in the fifth set, the Fighting Owls rallied again, scoring the final 11 points en route to their second conference victory of the season.

Harford looked sluggish in the first two sets, falling 25-17, 25-23, but came alive at the beginning of the third set. The Fighting Owls jumped out to a large lead early and pulled away for a 25-18 victory. In the fourth set, the Knights tried to mount a late comeback and squelsh Harford's fifth set attempt, but key blocks by the front line and timely serving forced the deciding set, 25-22.

Essex quickly jumped out to a 7-4 lead, but that's when the Fighting Owl defense stepped up. Harford forced nine Knight attack errors in the final set alone, including seven after Essex had taken a 7-4 lead.

A ball-handling error by Kimberlee Tognocchi gave the ball back to Harford, trailing 7-5. Sophomore Jaclyn Hall served the next 10 points for the win. Rebecca Wysocki, who collected a solo block earlier in the fifth set, teammed up with Amanda Barger for a pair of key blocks down the stretch. Leading 14-7, Ashley Dorsey ended the game with a monster kill.

Overall, Dorsey and Barger each tallied a double-double. Dorsey had a team-high 14 kills and 20 digs, while Barger scored 12 kills and 18 digs while adding three blocks.

Emma Anderson also notched a double-double, handing out 32 assists, to go along with 10 digs and seven aces, while Kaitlyn Hall collected 15 digs. Amanda Mackey and Jaclyn Hall both added six kills apiece. Wysocki finished with a match-best five total blocks, including one solo.

Harford hits the road for a conference match at Southern Maryland on Thursday.