Night 3 of The voice The battle rounds consisted of six head-to-head confrontations, two ‘steals’ from the coach and one very unexpected cliffhanger.

Twelve talented Vote Hopefuls faced off on Monday’s episode, hoping to beat their respective match-mates to progress to the next round of the competition, the knockouts, which are just around the corner. It was an episode full of close calls and tough decisions, as coaches Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé grappled with whose dreams to keep alive and whose dreams to end prematurely.

Now that The voice approaching the midpoint of the season, there is no doubt that the talent level continues to rise. Find out which singers from the latest Battle episode stood out, who got another chance and who kept the coaches – and viewers – on the edge of their seats.

Standout battle of the episode

The battle between Creigh Reipe and Team Reba’s Lauren-Michael Sellers may not have been the flashiest — there were arguably more exciting duels in Monday’s episode — but their emotional cover of “You Will Be Found,” an original ballad from the episode Dear Evan Hansen Broadway musical convinced us. The ingredients were there from the start. During rehearsals, their fused harmonies and expressive performances struck a chord with McEntire, who was visibly verklempt after sitting through their practice sessions.

When it was time for the duo to compete, their duet exceeded expectations. After the performance, Stefani had difficulty picking a winner because Reipe and Sellers were so evenly matched. “I kept bouncing back and forth between who wins, but in the end I wasn’t getting anywhere,” she said.

She reluctantly chose Reipe as her choice. Bublé was equally impressed, stating that “on a show called The voicethey each to have the voice.” Snoop leaned toward Sellers because he thought “her voice was more controlled.”

It all came down to McEntire. The country star praised Sellers for their “savage ferocity” and for the mentality of, “I know where I’m going and that’s where I’m going to land (the performance).” She had more succinct praise for Reipe, saying he “could have been a beach boy.”

Ultimately, McEntire chose Sellers as the Battle winner. “You want to hear from someone who brings you joy,” she explained, adding that “the women watching are really going to fall in love with her.”

If McEntire the other When he was on the right track and picked Reipe – it was so close – Bublé was ready to use his ‘steal’ to get sellers.

“I was going to save her,” he admitted to a surprised McEntire.

Two steals (and a cliffhanger)

The opening battle of the episode resulted in the first steal of the evening. After Team Reba’s R&B crooner Deon Jones was eliminated in favor of rock ‘n’ roll singer Danny Joseph following their rendition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” he was quickly picked up by Stefani, with his Vote hope alive.

“I had to steal Deon, I couldn’t let him go home,” Stefani said. “It seems like he can do almost anything with his voice. He is not only a good singer, but also a great artist.”

He wasn’t the only participant who got another chance. The final battle of the episode between Austyns Stancil and Team Stefani’s four-seater Jose Luis was a near-perfect performance. After going back and forth about who she wanted to keep, she chose youth over experience, and went with Luis as the winner.

The other coaches had no intention of letting Stancil go and pressed the button as soon as they got the chance. It was like the Blind Auditions again, with McEntire, Snoop and Bublé trying to win over Stancil. Snoop had the funniest argument when he said, “I wanted you the first time, but I didn’t get you.” I wanted you for the second time and I’m going to get you.’

If you thought we’d know who Stancil’s new coach was by the end of the episode, The voice had other plans, leaving his decision an unexpected cliffhanger.

A preview of the next episode

Fans will find out who will be Stancil’s new coach. Although it would be a win for everyone vocally and musically, Bublé may be a better fit, but this season of The voice has proven to be more unpredictable than normal.

We’re entering Night 4 of the Battle Rounds, so aside from that unanswered question, expect more dashed dreams and more steals as the coaches lock down their teams.

The voice continues October 29 at 8pm ET/PT on NBC.