Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
4-3,0-0Patriot
University of St. Thomas
4-3,0-0Summit League
Volleyball Stumbles Against St. Thomas at Bryant Invitational
September 12, 2025 | Volleyball
SMITHFIELD R.I. — Army West Point volleyball (4-3) played its first match at the Bryant Invitational on Friday, falling to the St. Thomas (MN) Tommies (4-3), 1-3.
The Black Knights struck first, taking the first set 25-21 with the help of multiple runs at the start of the first set.
The Tommies took control in the second set, earning a dominate 25-15 win over Army, then carried momentum to the third set earning a 25-22 win.
Army nearly overcame a late five-point deficit in then fourth set, tying the game at 22-22, and after a back and forth battle, ultimately the Black Knights fell 24-26 to St. Thomas.
Match Recap
Army opened with sharp execution, as setter Juliette Myrick connected early with Chloe Murakami for the first kill of the match. The Black Knights quickly built a 5–2 cushion behind back-to-back kills from Mackenzie Lynch.
St. Thomas fought back to tie the frame at 8–8, but Army later answered with a 6–0 run fueled by a service ace from Mackenzie Lynch and kills from both Lynch and Murakami to make it a 12-8 game.
The Tommies trimmed the margin to two late, yet Army's balance proved too much. Myrick gave the team a lift with a kill , and Lynch finished the set with authority at 25–21.
Momentum swung hard in the second frame. St. Thomas applied pressure from the service line, delivering multiple aces and forcing Army into difficult first touches. Although Murakami and Lynch each tallied early kills, the Black Knights struggled to stop extended Tommie runs.
A 6–1 St. Thomas burst in the middle stages broke the set open, and Army could not recover, dropping the frame 25–15.
The third set turned into a back-and-forth battle, featuring 13 ties and seven lead changes. Lynch was relentless on the outside, hammering multiple kills to keep Army neck-and-neck.
Myrick's smart distribution found Grimes and Bender for timely points at the net, and Army held a narrow 22–21 lead late after an ace from Annette Lee.
However, St. Thomas countered with a 4–0 finishing run, allowing the Tommies to steal the frame 25–22.
Army came out determined to extend the match, as Michelle Parker and Marin Harvey added sparks with kills off the bench.
The Black Knights strung together a 6–1 run midway, highlighted by kills from Harvey and Lynch. Down the stretch, Lynch delivered another kill to tie it at 23–23, and Murakami followed with a clutch swing that pushed Army to set point at 24–23.
Ultimately. St. Thomas refused to fold, staving off the set point and using an Army error to steal the frame 26–24, clinching the 3–1 match victory.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Mackenzie Lynch led the Black Knights with 16 kills while hitting .308. She added 11 digs, three blocks, and an ace to finish with a team-best 18.5 points. Lynch was the go-to attacker in key stretches and delivered clutch swings late in both the first and fourth sets.
- Chloe Murakami turned in an efficient performance with 11 kills at a .303 clip. She also added nine digs, one ace, and a block, finishing with 12.5 points.
- Juliette Myrick quarterbacked the offense with 21 assists and chipped in four kills of her own. She also recorded eight digs.
- Breelyn Bender anchored the net defensively with a match-high six blocks. She added three kills on eight swings and played a key role in slowing St. Thomas's middles.
- Tatum Grimes contributed six kills and two block assists.
- Marin Harvey provided an efficient spark off the bench, tallying four kills on just seven swings for a .571 hitting percentage.
- Michelle Parker added another late spark, hitting .500 with two kills and combining on a block to energize Army in the fourth set.
- Annette Lee was a defensive anchor with 16 digs, leading the team in the back row. She also added a service ace.
- Naomi Chinchar gave Army a valuable second setting option, dishing out 14 assists and adding three digs to keep the offense balanced in rotation.
Coach's Corner
"Give lots of credits to St. Thomas, they're a great team," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "It's good for us to play teams from Minnesota, they have great volleyball over there. It's going to help us in the future to be able to better our game."
"I thought they served us tough and they played defense," Kovaci Lee continued. "The defense created a lot of opportunities for them to score. As for us this morning, our serving, our passing, the basics and we couldn't play tough defense, that's where we struggled."
"Offensively, we definitely took a step forward. We had a good percentage, so I thought that was really good. The first set today showed how good we can be. Ultimately, great adjustments from them and the defense from them."
Up Next
The Black Knights continue their appearance in the Bryant Invitational on Friday, taking on Stony Brook at 3 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.
