Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
University of St. Thomas
Volleyball Heads to Rhode Island for Bryant Invitational
September 11, 2025 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball will wrap its 2025 non-conference slate on Friday and Saturday, heading to the Bryant Invitational to play St. Thomas (MN), Stony Brook and Bryant.
The Black Knights open the tournament appearance with a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 12, taking on the St. Thomas Tommies at 10 a.m. ET and the Stony Brook Seawolves at 3 p.m. ET at the Chace Athletic Center.
To wrap their appearance in Springfield, R.I., the Black Knights will play the Bryant Bulldogs at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 13.
For fans who can't make it to Chace Athletic Center, all three games will stream live on America East TV.
ARMY STORYLINES:
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEKEND: : The Black Knights finished the week 2-1, finishing second in the Black Knights Invitational. The weekend started with a five-set loss to Hofstra before Army rallied and earned two straight four-set wins over Rider and Binghamton. Juliette Myrick and Breelyn Bender would go on to be named to the all-tournament team after their performances.
PROLIFIC PLAYMAKER: Junior Juliette Myrick serves as the primary playmaker for Army this season. Currently leads the team in assists, with 172 so far this season, and averages 7.17 per set. In the past four games, Myrick has finished with 30+ assists. In Army's Sept. 7 matchup against Binghmaton, she surpassed the 1,000 all-time career assists mark and earned her first triple-double season with 33 assists, 12 kills and 11 digs.
BENDING TO HER WILL: Breelyn Bender has quickly emerged as Army's biggest threat in the middle. The sophomore middle blocker currently leads the team with a .348 hitting percentage, 20 blocks and 1.05 blocks per set. She had a career game against Rider, recording 13 kills while hitting .600, and also set a season-high with seven blocks against Hofstra.
LYNCH LEADING THE WAY: Senior outside hitter Mackenzie Lynch served as the primary driving force of not only Army's attack, but in all aspects on the floor. The senior finished with 10+ kills in the past five games, including a season high 20 kills against Green Bay. Currently, she leads the team in kills (89), kills per set (3.71), points (102.0) and points per set (4.25). She also added 65 digs, 13 blocks and six services aces.
DIGGING DEEP: Through the first six games of 2025, Annette Lee became a vital member of the Black Knights' back line. The freshman libero leads the team with 97 digs, averaging 4.22 a set and 16.17 a match. Lee has earned 15+ digs in a match in four of Army's matches, including a career-high 27 against Green Bay. She also currently sits at a .961 reception percentage and four service aces.
SETTING THE STANDARD: The Black Knights hold some of the best numbers in NCAA Division I in several statistical categories. The Army's defense is ranked in the top 25 in the nation with 15.92 digs per set and in the top 50 in the country with 2.5 blocks per set. The team is also in the top 100 in two other statistical categories, including opponent hitting percentage (74) and kills per set (95).
STAR MATCH SHOWDOWN: Next week, The Black Knights and Midshipmen will renew their rivalry on Sept. 19th for the 44th annual Star Match as part of the Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA. Last season, Army welcomed foe Navy to Gillis Field House in late September for the 43rd annual Star Match. Army claimed the first two sets before Navy got a foothold and tied things up in the third and fourth sets. The tumultuous fifth set saw Army press its home court advantage as time wore on, with every Black Knight on the floor participating to claim the win.
History with St. Thomas
- This is the first-ever matchup between these programs.
Scouting the Tommies
- St. Thomas is 3-3 to start the season. After dropping their first three games against Ball State, Cal Poly and then ranked No. 11 Minnesota, the Tommies have won three straight against Houston Christian, Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi.
- Head coach Thanh Pham has coached St. Thomas for 23 seasons, coaching the Tommies to a 491-206 record, leading their transition to Div. I competition.
- Ellie Gustafson and Tezra Rudzitis lead the offense with 74 kills each, averaging 3.36 kills per set. Morgan Kealy spearheads the setting efforts with 209 assists in 2025.
- Megan Wetter guards the net, leading the Tommies with 18 total blocks, and Ella Voegele defends the back line with a team high 85 digs.
History with Stony Brook
- The Black Knights lead the series, 5-3
- Current Streak: Army, 3 wins
- Last Army win: Sept. 21, 2019, 3-0
- Last Stony Brook win: Sept. 16, 2003, 3-0
Scouting the Seawolves
- Stony Brook is also 3-3 to start the 2025. They won their first three matches against Central Connecticut State, Siena and Rhode Island, but lost their last three matches against Northern Iowa, Washington and then ranked No. 11 SMU.
- Head coach Kristin Belzung is in her ninth season coaching the Seawolves, holding a 114-107 record.
- Kali Moore leads the Seawolves with a team-high 70 kills and 3.18 kills per set. Ava Zamora conducts the offense with a team-best 171 assists, averaging 7.7 per set.
- Madison Cigna acts as the primary passer with 68 digs, while Moore is just behind her with 62. Mercedes Motton leads the defensive charge up front with 17 total blocks.
History with Bryant
- The Black Knights lead the series, 5-1
- Current Streak: Bryant, 1 win
- Last Army win: Sept. 14, 2019, 3-0
- Last Bryant win: Sept. 14, 2024, 3-0
Scouting the Bulldogs
- Bryant is 3-4 heading into the tournament, most recently gaining a win against one of Army's conference opponents, Holy Cross.
- Head Coach Theresa Garlacy is in her 30th season, posting a 617-410 overall record during her time in Springfield.
- Arianna Ugolini leads the Bulldogs' attack with 96 kills, averaging 3.69 per set. Madison Koeller handles the balls with a team-high 123 assists, averaging 5.13 per set.
- Ugolini also leads the team with 64 digs, with Claudia Camacho-Castro just behind her with 63 digs. Brookelyn Talmadge and Lea Mackey lead the net protection with 19 and 18 total blocks, respectively.
