Volleyball Drops Five Setter to Valparaiso

Saturday, August 27

West Point, NY

12 PM

Army West Point

0-2

Valparaiso

2-1

Valparaiso

Army

Volleyball Drops Five Setter to Valparaiso

August 27, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point volleyball team fell, 3-2, Saturday in an afternoon match against Valparaiso at Gillis Field House. The Cadets (0-2) opened their season at the Black Knights Invitational this weekend while hosting Valparaiso (2-1), Hofstra (1-0) and Bakersfield (1-1).

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Allie Strong tallied the first double-double of her career after recording 12 kills and 11 digs in her second collegiate start to total 14.5 points. She reached double-digit kills in the middle of the third set and double-digit digs in the fourth.
Amber Clay recorded her second double-double in a row and 10th of her career. The junior totaled 11 kills and 14 digs and combined for 13.0 points.
Rachel Gearon saw success at the net where she hit .364 with nine kills.
Haven Bethune and Nikki Lum were both successful in the setting position for Army. Lum dished out 20 assists throughout the five setter, while Bethune tallied 20, respectively.
Megan Bryn led the team with 22 digs, while Vanessa Wesley (5) and Sydney Morriss (3) led the team in blocks. Morriss also worked the ball offensively with double-digit kills (11), and Wesley totaled nine.

TURNING POINT

With the match tied at 1-1, Haven Bethune entered the court for the Black Knights to spark a 7-3 run which put army on top of the Crusaders 21-14. She recorded seven assists in the set. Army's Wesley and Strong clinched the set, 25-19, with a block.
Vanessa Wesley kicked things up a notch in the fifth set where she was responsible for five kills and two blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Army trailed Valparaiso, but went on an 8-0 run to take an 18-14 lead in the first set.
Wesley and Morriss denied the Crusaders at the net to maintain their 23-17 lead. Clay closed out set one with a kill from Lum, 25-19.
The Black Knights brought the second set within one during an 8-3 run. Olivia Fairfield, Wesley and Strong each recorded kills in the sequence from Lum. The Crusaders stayed patient however and claimed the set 25-21.
In the third, points by Strong, Wesley and Clay sparked the Cadets on an 8-5 run to bring the score to 11-9. Bethune and Morris connected on a play to take the 14-11 advantage which fueled a 7-3 run to put Army on top 21-14. After some back and forth action, the Black Knights capped the set, 25-19, with a block by Wesley and Strong for set point.
Army pushed on in the fourth set after trailing 18-13 to bring the game to 24-21 in favor of the Crusaders. The Cadets fought back, but Valparaiso took the set 25-21 to push it into five.
The Cadets came back in the fifth set to knot the score at 12-12, but the Crusaders went on a three-point run to win the match.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Match One // Valparaiso 3, Bakersfield 1
Match Two // Hofstra 3, Valparaiso 2
Match Three // Bakersfield 3, Army 2
Match Four // Valparaiso 3, Army 2
Match Five // Hofstra vs. Bakersfield
Match Six // Army vs. Hofstra

UP NEXT
Army is back in action at Gillis Field House Saturday evening for the final match of the Black Knights Invitational. The Cadets Hofstra at 7 p.m. to close-out the tournament.