Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Stony Brook
Volleyball Gains First Win at Bryant Invitational Against Stony Brook
September 12, 2025 | Volleyball
SMITHFIELD R.I. — Army West Point volleyball (5-3) bounced back from its Friday morning loss to take game two of the Bryant Invitational, defeating the Stony Brook Seawolves (3-4), 3-1.
The Black Knights won the first set 25-21, spearheaded by eight kills in one set by Breelyn Bender. The Army then took an action-packed second set, rallying to win 30-28.
The third set was the only one where Army struggled, with Stony Brook using a 7-0 run in the beginning of the set to give Army the 16-25 loss.
Finally, in the fourth set, the set stayed close the whole way through, with Army using a 5-1 run at the end to take the set at 26-24, clinching the match.
Match Recap
The first set started with the Black Knights falling to an early 0-3 deficit, but three straight kills from Breelyn Bender tied the game.
In the middle of the set, the Black Knights went on a 7-3 run to grow their lead, with Bender adding another three kills and Chloe Murakami adding two of her own to help Army take a 14-12 lead.
Later in the set, Army went on a 5-1 run, making it a 21-16 game, the team's biggest lead in the set. Bender earned her seventh and eighth kills in the set, and Naomi Chinchar added a setter's dump to help take the lead.
The Seawolves closed the gap towards the end of the set, but a kill by Tatum Grimes from Juliette Myrick sealed Army's set one win.
The Black Knights picked up where they left off in set two, picking up an early 6-2 lead. Mackenzie Lynch started the scoring with a kill, while Chinchar contributed a service ace and Murakami added two more kills.
Stony Brook later responded with a 4-0 run to tie the set, then Army responded with a 3-0 burst to make it a 13-10 game, led by kills from Lynch and Tatum Grimes.
The Seawolves then added a 7-1 run to help take their first lead of the set at 17-14. Army then added a 6-0 run to take back the lead at 23-19, fueled by two kills from Murakami, an ace from Myrick and a kill by Grimes.
Stony Brook responded with a 5-1 run, tying the game at 24-24. The two teams then exchanged points, with Army finally breaking through with a 3-0 run, capped off by back-to-back kills from Murakami to take the set and a 2-0 match lead at 30-28.
Army started the third set with an early 2-1 lead, but Stony Brook then went on a 7-0 run to take a commanding lead that they would not relinquish for the entire set.
The Black Knights cut the lead by going on a 4-0 run, featuring a block from Janie Deapen and Michelle Parker, but the Seawolves closed the set outscoring Army 9-3 to take their first set from Army. 25-16.
In the fourth set, kills from Grimes and Lynch, then an ace from Annette Lee gave Army an early 3-1 lead. The Seawolves responded with one of their own, tying the game at 4-4.
The two teams stayed close through the duration of the fourth set until Army went on a quick 3-0, staying neck-and-neck through the whole fourth set.
Army held a narrow 20-19 lead before the Seawolves went on a 4-1 run to take a 23-22 lead. Then, the Black Knights responded with a 5-1 run and fought off a set point to clinch the set and match 26-24.
In the final six points, Murakami earned two kills with Parker and Myrick each adding a kill in the span.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Chloe Murakami led the way with 15 kills on 43 attempts, adding 16 digs, one ace, and 16.5 points to pace both the offense and defense.
- Tatum Grimes followed with 12 kills on a .281 hitting percentage, providing steady scoring at the net.
- Mackenzie Lynch recorded a double-double by posting 10 kills and a team-high 22 digs, while also handing out three assists.
- Breelyn Bender added eight kills on .250 hitting and contributed defensively with one solo block and two block assists for 10 total points.
- Michelle Parker was extremely efficient, finishing with six kills on 11 swings for a .545 hitting percentage along with two block assists.
- Juliette Myrick directed the offense with 32 assists while also contributing five kills, eight digs, and three block assists.
- Naomi Chinchar gave the Black Knights a boost with 15 assists, two service aces, and 10 digs.
- Annette Lee anchored the back row with 15 digs and chipped in one service ace.
- As a team, Army totaled 59 kills on a .201 hitting percentage, 54 assists, and 84 digs to secure the four-set victory.
Coach's Corner
"We faced some great defense and serving against Stony Brook," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "We did not play our best, and we were not feeling great. I'm very proud of our team for their grit and finishing the game."
"We didn't feel well and we still finished," Kovaci Lee continued. "I thought there was some really great mental resilience in the end. I'm very proud of that, and we need to have that heading into Patriot League play next week."
Up Next
The Black Knights' trip to Smithfield, R.I., for the Bryant Invitational comes to a close on Saturday, taking on tournament host Bryant at 1 p.m. ET in the Chace Athletic Center.
The game will also stream live on America East TV.
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.
