Army Opens Patriot League Play With 3-1 Victory

WEST POINT – Army West Point volleyball (7-3, 1-0) opened Patriot League play with a 3-1 victory over Loyola Maryland (3-7, 0-1) on Friday night at Gillis Field House, defeating the Greyhounds, 25-22, 23-25, 25-13 and 25-23.

The Black Knights earn its first win in conference play behind a balanced offensive effort that featured four players with double-digit kills.
Marlee Lightsey and Kennedy Jones each finished with 13 and 11 kills, respectively, while Michelle Parker matched Lightsey with 13 kills and hit a team-best .524. Juliette Myrick added eight kills and 27 assists as Army totaled 58 kills and hit .269 for the match.

Lightsey also contributed 10 digs for a double-double, while Jones hit .318 and added two block assists.

The opening set featured 12 ties and six lead changes as the teams battled back and forth. Army erased an early 6-3 deficit behind kills from Parker, Myrick and Lightsey before consecutive Blackburn kills helped the Black Knights build a 13-9 advantage.

Loyola responded with a run of its own, eventually taking a 19-17 lead. Army answered behind Parker and Lightsey, with Lightsey’s kill tying the frame at 19 before a Myrick-Parker block put the Black Knights back in front, 20-19.

Parker added another kill for a 21-20 advantage before Army scored three straight to reach set point. Audrey St. Clair delivered an ace to make it 24-21, and Kealakai Bandy finished the set with a kill for the 25-22 victory. Army recorded 17 kills in the opener, with Myrick and Parker each posting four.

Loyola opened the second set with a 3-0 advantage before Army worked its way back. Lightsey put down a kill to pull Army within one at 6-5, and Jones began to take over offensively as the Black Knights erased an 11-8 deficit.

Myrick delivered consecutive service aces before Jones recorded three kills during a stretch that moved Army ahead, 15-13. Jones continued her strong set with another kill to tie the score at 16, and Parker followed with consecutive kills for an 18-16 advantage.

Neither side could create separation down the stretch. Blackburn tied the frame at 23 with a kill, but Loyola responded with the final two points to take the set, 25-23, and even the match at one apiece. Jones was Army’s catalyst in the frame, recording five kills on seven error-free swings for a .714 hitting percentage. Parker added six kills while hitting .417.

Army responded emphatically in the third, with Lightsey helping the Black Knights take control early.

Lightsey recorded three kills among Army’s first six points, including back-to-back attacks that helped turn a 3-3 tie into a 6-4 advantage.

Army then broke the set open with a 6-0 run, receiving kills from Janie Deapen and Myrick to build a 14-7 lead.

After Loyola cut the margin to 15-12, Jones stopped the run with a kill. Deapen then took over from the service line, recording four consecutive aces during an 8-0 Army run that stretched the advantage to 23-12.

Lightsey put the finishing touches on the dominant frame, recording Army’s final two kills to close out the 25-13 victory. She led the Black Knights with five kills on seven error-free attacks, hitting .714 in the set. Army hit .435 as a team while holding Loyola to a -.045 hitting percentage.

The fourth set turned into another back-and-forth battle, featuring 13 ties and six lead changes. Jones set the tone for Army with three kills among the Black Knights’ first four points, but Loyola eventually moved ahead 14-11.

Army stayed within striking distance before Lightsey helped spark a key comeback. Her kill cut the deficit to 17-15 before Nicole Stroud delivered a service ace. Lightsey followed with another kill to tie the set at 17, and a Parker-Jones block put Army in front, 18-17.

Loyola regained the advantage and led 23-21 late, but the Black Knights closed the match with four consecutive points. A Loyola attack error brought Army within one before Myrick delivered a service ace to tie the frame at 23.

Blackburn and Deapen then combined for a block to give Army match point, and another Loyola attack error sealed the 25-23 set victory and the 3-1 match win.