Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
11-11,7-6Patriot
Holy Cross
2-19,0-12Patriot
Volleyball Sweeps Holy Cross
November 02, 2024 | Volleyball
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Army West Point volleyball team concluded their non-conference road matches with a decisive sweep over Holy Cross, taking the win in three sets with scores of 25-21, 25-17, and 25-21. The win brings Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee tied for the most wins in program history with Bob Gambardella at 326 wins.
Juliette Myrick recorded her sixth triple-double of the season, contributing 10 kills, 21 assists, and 11 digs. Freshman middle blocker Tatum Grimes set a new career high in kills, leading the Black Knights with 12 kills and zero erros for a .522 hitting percentage.
Match Recap
After a tight start with the teams trading points to 3-3, the Black Knights pulled ahead with a 9-2 run, extending the score to 12-5. Holy Cross responded with a 4-0 run, narrowing the gap to 12-9.
Chloe Murakami helped maintain Army's lead with a quick kill and benefited from a Holy Cross error, though two Army errors allowed the Crusaders to stay within reach. The teams continued to exchange points, with Holy Cross unable to close the gap to less than three at 19-16. A kill by Myrick forced a Holy Cross timeout, and while the Crusaders closed in to 19-18, the Black Knights held steady to take the set 25-21.
The second set mirrored the first with the teams even at 3-3 before Army broke away with five consecutive points, including three kills from Grimes. From there, the Black Knights maintained control, never allowing Holy Cross to get within four, and claimed the set 25-17.
In the final set, Army jumped out to a 3-1 lead, though Holy Cross quickly tied it at 4-4. An ace from Lynch and a Crusader error allowed Army to regain the lead, which they held for the remainder of the match, ultimately securing the set 25-21 to complete the sweep.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- The Black Knights' 11th win of the season puts Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee tied for the most wins by a head coach in Army Volleyball program history with former head coach Bob Gambardella at 326 total wins.
- Sophomore setter Juliette Myrick recorded her second consecutive and sixth triple-double of the season in the match. Her six total triple doubles stand as the fifth-most by an individual player in NCAA Division I volleyball this season.
- Freshman middle blocker recorded a new career-best in kills with 12 total kills in three sets of action. With zero errors on 23 total swings, Grimes earned a .522 hitting percentage.
- The Black Knights outshone the Crusaders in the attack game with 45 kills to Holy Cross' 34 and a team .252 hitting percentage compared to Holy Cross' .114.
Coach's Corner
"This was a great comeback for our team today," said Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee. "Holy Cross played tough, and while it took us some time to adjust, the team stayed confident. Mackenzie (Lynch), Juliette (Myrick), and Tatum (Grimes) led us today, and it was great to see. Any road win in conference play is a quality win and crucial for standings. We're looking forward to our next week of practices as we prepare for two tough teams - Lehigh and Bucknell."
Next Up
The Black Knights return home for the final stretch of the regular season, first hosting Lehigh on Friday, November 8, at 7:00 PM in Gillis Field House.
