Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
8-4,2-1Patriot
Lehigh
6-6,0-3Patriot
Volleyball Claims Four-Set Victory Over Lehigh
September 26, 2025 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (8-4, 2-1) returned to its winning ways on Friday, taking down the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks (6-6, 0-3), 3-1.
The Black Knights opened the match, earning a tightly contested 27-25 set one win. Lehigh evened the match in set two, taking a 25-17 win.
Army closed out the match, winning the third and fourth sets in dominant fashion, taking the third 25-15 and the fourth 25-18.
Match Recap
Army opened the match with high energy, matching Lehigh point for point in the early stages of the first set.
Mackenzie Lynch quickly established herself as the go-to option, putting down several kills to keep Army level. Juliette Myrick's tough serving applied pressure, and Marin Harvey contributed with quick swings in the middle to balance the offense.
Midway through the set, Army built a slim cushion thanks to strong blocking from Michelle Parker and Chloe Murakami, who helped slow Lehigh's outside attack.
However, the Mountain Hawks rallied, capitalizing on a few Army hitting errors to erase the lead. The teams traded points deep into the 20s, creating a tense finish.
Lynch delivered back-to-back kills to push Army to set point, and after Lehigh briefly extended the frame, Lynch sealed it at 27–25. Army grabbed the early 1–0 match lead and momentum.
Lehigh responded in set two with its sharpest set of the night.
The Mountain Hawks jumped out early, using strong serving runs to disrupt Army's first contact and limit their offensive rhythm. Despite kills from Lynch and Murakami, Army trailed by five at the midpoint.
Naomi Chinchar and Myrick tried to spark the offense, but Lehigh's block tightened up and forced the Black Knights into tough swings. Breelyn Bender added a kill late in the set, but Army could not sustain a rally.
Lehigh maintained control and pulled away to win 25–17, tying the match 1–1 and shifting the pressure back to Army.
Army regrouped after the intermission and came out with a sense of urgency in set three.
Early kills from Lynch and Myrick set the tone, while Chinchar distributed the ball well to keep Lehigh's defense off balance.
Harvey provided a spark at the net, combining quick kills with key blocks. Army's backcourt, led by strong digs from Murakami and Myrick, kept plays alive and extended rallies.
After a tight opening stretch, Army went on a decisive run, fueled by Lynch's heavy swings and a block from Parker and Harvey that fired up the crowd.
With momentum squarely on their side, Myrick closed the set on a strong serving run that included two aces. Army dominated the frame 25–15, reclaiming a 2–1 advantage.
Carrying momentum into the fourth set, Army started fast and never looked back. Lynch continued her dominant night, connecting on multiple kills from the outside.
Murakami added consistency on the outside, delivering timely swings while also contributing defensively with several digs. Chinchar's connection with the middles kept Lehigh's blockers guessing, allowing Army to spread out the offense.
Parker came up with a momentum-shifting block midway through the set that helped Army extend its lead.
From there, the Black Knights kept control, with Murakami putting the finishing touches on a strong set. Army closed it out 25–18, securing a 3–1 match victory.
Black Knight Bullet Points
Individual Highlights
- Mackenzie Lynch led the Black Knights with 18 kills on 50 swings, hitting .220 while adding 13 digs, two block assists, and finishing with a team-high 20.0 points.
- Chloe Murakami was right behind with 15 kills on 35 attempts, hitting .257, while also recording three block assists and totaling 16.5 points.
- Juliette Myrick filled the stat sheet with six kills on a .313 hitting percentage, 26 assists, three service aces, and 10 digs for 9.5 points.
- Naomi Chinchar directed the offense with 17 assists and contributed 14 digs to Army's defensive effort.
- Michelle Parker was efficient in the middle with six kills on 12 swings (.417) and added two block assists for 7.0 points.
- Breelyn Bender chipped in three kills and a block assist in her two sets of action, finishing with 3.5 points.
- Marin Harvey added four kills, while Victoria Kasanganay made her presence felt at the net with three block assists.
- Annette Lee anchored the back row with 12 digs and also chipped in one assist.
Team Highlights
- Army recorded 52 kills on 147 attempts with 23 errors, hitting .197 as a team.
- The Black Knights spread out 47 assists, with Myrick and Chinchar combining for 43 of them.
- The team served aggressively, totaling five aces, led by Myrick with three.
- At the net, Army tallied 12 blocks, with Parker, Murakami, and Kasanganay contributing multiple blocks.
- The Black Knights' defense held strong with 62 total digs, led by Lynch (13), Chinchar (14), and Myrick (10).
- Army showed resilience, winning two sets with hitting percentages over .270, including .290 in the third and .270 in the fourth to close out the match.
Coach's Corner
"We beat a good Lehigh team tonight, that's for sure," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said, "So big credits to our team and credit to our coaching staff tonight. I was pleased with this match because we we improved every set. We got a little bit better. I really appreciated our team's resilience and their toughness and their grit in this game."
"Our outsides got a lot of balls, and they hit in the two hundreds," Kovaci Lee continued. "Chloe finished above .250, and Mackenzie finished hitting above .200. If we can continue to put good numbers up like that, it's going to be good for us overall. Our goal is to continue to put our middle in the game, and Michelle is still thriving and still doing really well."
"I'm also really proud of the part that the bench played in our win. Today, we used some different players, and they did a great job. Nathalie came in and gave us a five-point run there with her serve, and Norah played really good defense in the back row. We also brought in Victoria, and she assisted us with blocking. So it took the entire team to perform well today."
"The crowd was awesome. Especially since we were coming home from a two-week road trip. It was awesome to come back and just play in front of our fans and have their support tonight."
Up Next
The Black Knights play the next game of their home stand on Saturday, Sept. 27, with Army taking on the Lafayette College Leopards.
Army hopes to continue its dominance against the Leopards, with the Black Knights sweeping the season series against Lafayette in 2024, also winning the past six matches against the visiting team.
First serve against the Black Knights and the Leopards in West Point is set for 4 p.m. ET, with the game also streaming 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
