Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
14-5,8-2Patriot
Colgate
15-7,10-1Patriot
Volleyball Reverse Sweeps Colgate to Earn Fourth-Straight Win
October 25, 2025 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (14-5, 8-2) earned a comeback victory on Saturday, earning a 3-2 five-set victory over the Colgate University Raiders (15-7, 10-1).
With the win, Army hands Colgate its first loss in Patriot League play and avenges its loss to the Raiders on October 4. The two teams split the season series, 1-1.
The five-set match also marks the third match this season for Army that has gone into a fifth set. The other two matches include Army's win on August 31 against Green Bay and loss to Hofstra on September 5.
Colgate took the first two sets of the match, 25-19 and 25-22. Army then came back in the next three sets, defeating the Raiders 25-23, 25-21 and 15-11 to complete the reverse sweep.
Match Recap
Army opened the match with energy, as Mackenzie Lynch and Chloe Murakami each delivered early kills to keep pace with Colgate's quick tempo.
Setter Naomi Chinchar spread the offense effectively, finding Corrine Blackburn in the middle for a quick strike that tied the set at 7–7. The Black Knights traded points through the first half, showcasing strong defensive and solid blocking touches at the net from Blackburn and Juliette Myrick.
However, midway through the set, Colgate went on a 5–1 run fueled by aggressive serving that disrupted Army's passing rhythm. Despite key sideouts from Murakami and Lynch, the Black Knights struggled to fully recover from the deficit.
Late in the frame, Army's serve-receive errors and missed opportunities on out-of-system balls gave Colgate the edge. The Raiders closed the set 25–19 after an Army attack went long, leaving the Black Knights regrouping for the second set.
Army came out sharper in the second set, using early kills from Murakami and Rudolph to take a 6–3 lead. Chinchar's quick tempo set to Blackburn in the middle sparked momentum, while Janie Deapen added a well-timed block to extend the lead.
Colgate responded with a flurry of kills, evening the score at 11–11. The two sides traded points through long rallies marked by scrappy defense on both ends.
Midway through, Lynch's back-to-back kills from the left pin put Army ahead 17–15, but Colgate capitalized on a couple of service errors to regain control.
Down the stretch, Chinchar's smart decision-making helped Army stay close, finding Murakami and Myrick for clutch sideouts. Yet Colgate's late push behind tough serving and a strong front-row block sealed the set 25–22.
Determined to extend the match, Army came out with renewed intensity. Murakami sparked the offense early with three kills in the first six points, while Blackburn and Lynch teamed up for a block that electrified the bench.
Chinchar's tempo control kept Colgate's defense off-balance, feeding Myrick for several sharp cross-court kills. Army built a 14–10 lead after Deapen stuffed a Colgate hitter at the net, forcing a timeout.
After the break, Colgate chipped away to tie it at 18–18. With the crowd growing louder, Chinchar found Lynch again for a high-line kill to give Army set point at 24–22.
Following a brief rally, a Colgate attack error clinched the 25–23 win. Army's balance, with five players recording multiple kills, and improved defensive coverage gave them new life heading into the fourth set.
The fourth set saw Army playing its most complete volleyball of the match. Lynch remained hot on the left side, recording four early kills as Army built an 8–5 lead.
Blackburn continued to anchor the defense at the net, combining with Deapen for back-to-back blocks that stretched the lead to 15–10. Colgate attempted to rally behind tough serving, but Myrick's smart shot selection and Murakami's consistency in transition neutralized the threat.
Down the stretch, Army maintained composure. A late kill by Lynch, followed by a Colgate error, gave Army the set 25–21, tying the match at 2–2. The Black Knights' energy, depth, and improved serve pressure swung the momentum firmly in their favor heading into the decisive fifth set.
Army carried all the momentum into the tiebreaker, jumping out to a 6–2 lead behind dominant swings from Murakami and Lynch. Blackburn and Deapen made critical stops at the net that frustrated Colgate's hitters.
Chinchar orchestrated the offense beautifully, mixing quick sets to the middle with fast-tempo balls to the pins. A perfectly placed serve by Murakami forced a Colgate timeout at 9–5.
After the break, Colgate responded with a small run, but Lynch halted it with a thunderous kill down the line, followed by another from Myrick off a back-row dig.
As Army edged closer to victory, Chinchar found Murakami for a kill that made it 14–11. On match point, Breelyn Bender and Deapen rose for a decisive block, sealing the 15–11 win and completing Army's comeback from two sets down.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Mackenzie Lynch led the Black Knights with 19 kills, hit .173 on 52 attempts, and added four assists, one ace, five blocks and 14 digs, finishing with 22.5 total points.
- Chloe Murakami matched Lynch with 20 kills while hitting .224, and added four assists, two aces, 16 digs and one block assist for 22.5 points overall.
- Juliette Myrick tallied eight kills, hit .136, and dished out 25 assists, while also contributing 8 digs and 3 block assists for a total of 9.5 points.
- Naomi Chinchar distributed the offense efficiently with 21 assists and 13 digs, steadying the team's tempo throughout all five sets.
- Corrine Blackburn delivered eight kills on .261 hitting, dominated at the net with 12 total blocks, and totaled 15.0 points. Blackburn's 12 blocks was the first Army Volleyball player since 2002 to earn 12+ blocks in a game.
- Janie Deapen provided a spark off the bench with six kills on .222 hitting, five blocks and five digs, good for 9.0 points.
- In the gritty five-set comeback victory, hitting .134 overall with 64 kills, 55 assists, and 74 total digs.
- The offense improved as the match progressed, highlighted by a .188 hitting percentage in the fourth set and eight clutch kills in the fifth.
- Army also dominated at the net with 16 total blocks, which helped turn the match's momentum.
- The team served aggressively, collecting four aces, and showed poise in long rallies with 74 total digs.
- The match featured 36 tie scores and 13 lead changes, showing how evenly matched both teams were throughout.
Coach's Corner
"I'm just really proud of our entire team," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "We're Army, and the one thing you need to know about us is that we will not quit. We have resilience. We have grit. We are going to play tough until the very end. Colgate is a very tough, and we just proved to ourselves that we can win a championship."
"Corrine's a freshman, and she's playing like an upperclassman out there," Kovaci Lee continued. "She is so coachable. She brings so much energy the to the court. She never takes a day off. She always has a smile on her face, and she brings the energy that our team needs. Her resilience and blocking are credit to her everyday work and the passion she has for this team."
"Our team is very much underclassmen, so Chloe and MacKenzie are like the pillars of our team, and we trust them and we believe in them. So it's really good when we need a point, they can bring the calmness and focus."
"It takes a village to succeed. I thought the staff did a great job. The coaching staff, the managers, our trainer and everyone else on our staff is doing and going above and beyond of what their responsibilities are. That's amazing to see, and it helped us win today."
Up Next
The Black Knights continue their final regular-season home stand on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. ET, taking on Holy Cross for the second time this season.
The two teams face off once this season in Worcester, Mass., with the Black Knights earning a dominant 3-0 sweep over the Crusaders.
For fans who cannot attend the match at West Point, the match will stream live on ESPN+.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point women's volleyball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_VB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
