Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
9-5,3-2Patriot
Bucknell
6-8,2-3Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | 17 | 16 | 25 | 21 | 1 |
| Bucknell | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Drops Road Contest in Four Sets to Bucknell
October 02, 2026 | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Army West Point volleyball (9-5, 3-2) fell to Bucknell (6-8, 2-3) in four sets, 17-25, 16-25, 25-22, 21-25, on Friday night at Davis Gymnasium.
After dropping the first two sets, the Black Knights responded with their strongest frame of the match in the third, hitting .316 and holding Bucknell to .132 to force a fourth set. Army then erased a five-point deficit in the fourth and took an 18-16 lead before the Bison regained control down the stretch.
Kennedy Jones led Army with 11 kills and added two blocks, while Juliette Myrick finished with eight kills on 18 swings for a .333 hitting percentage to go along with 16 assists and 12 digs.
Breelyn Bender added seven kills and four block assists, while Corrine Blackburn provided a major spark after entering the lineup, recording eight kills on just 11 attacks for a match-best .636 hitting percentage.
How It Happened
Army remained within striking distance through the early stages of the first set. Kills from Jones, Myrick, Michelle Parker, Bender and Janie Deapen helped the Black Knights stay close, with consecutive kills from Bender and Deapen cutting Bucknell's advantage to 7-6.
Bucknell eventually created separation with a 4-0 run to take a 14-10 lead. Army answered behind Lightsey, Myrick and Deapen, scoring three straight to pull within one at 14-13. Bender later cut the deficit to 16-15 with her third kill of the frame, but the Bison closed the set on a 9-2 run to take the opener, 25-17. Bender led Army with three kills on four error-free attacks in the frame.
Army and Bucknell traded points early in the second before the Bison gradually built a 10-6 advantage. Jones helped keep the Black Knights in the frame, recording kills to make it 10-7 and later 18-14, while Myrick added a pair of kills during the middle stages.
The Black Knights struggled to establish sustained offensive momentum, however, as Bucknell pulled away late. Jones finished the frame with four kills on seven swings, but the Bison hit .379 and closed out the 25-16 victory to take a 2-0 match lead.
Army responded with a lineup change and a strong start in the third, with Blackburn immediately providing a spark. She put down three kills in Army's first six points before Bender and Deapen combined for a block to help the Black Knights race out to a 7-2 advantage.
The momentum continued behind Jones, who recorded three kills as Army extended the lead to 15-6. Blackburn added another kill before Lightsey and Myrick joined the attack, helping Army maintain control despite a late Bucknell push.
Bender delivered two kills and combined with Deapen for another block as Army stretched its lead to 23-15. Bucknell responded with a late run, trimming the deficit to 24-22, but a service error ended the comeback attempt and gave Army the 25-22 set victory.
The Black Knights totaled 16 kills and hit a match-best .316 in the third, while holding Bucknell to .132. Blackburn led Army with four kills on six swings, while Bender added three kills and three block assists.
The fourth developed into the closest set of the night. Bucknell built an early 7-4 advantage and later stretched the margin to 13-8 before Army mounted its comeback. Deapen started the push with a kill before a Bucknell attack error and consecutive Blackburn kills helped pull the Black Knights within two. Lightsey followed with a service ace, and another Blackburn kill made it 14-13.
Myrick tied the set at 14 and again at 15 before Deapen evened the frame at 16. Deapen then delivered a service ace, and Jones followed with a solo block to complete the turnaround and put Army ahead, 18-16.
Bucknell answered with three straight points to regain the lead at 19-18. Bender tied the frame once more at 19, but the Bison responded with another three-point run to create separation. Blackburn and Lightsey added late kills to keep Army within reach, but Bucknell secured the final two points for a 25-21 victory and the four-set decision.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Kennedy Jones led Army with 11 kills on 31 attacks and added two blocks for a team-high 12.5 points. Jones recorded four kills on seven swings for a .429 hitting percentage in the second set.
- Corrine Blackburn provided a major spark off the bench, finishing with eight kills on just 11 attacks with one error for a .636 hitting percentage. She recorded four kills in the third set and four more in the fourth.
- Juliette Myrick turned in an all-around performance, totaling eight kills on 18 attacks for a .333 hitting percentage, 16 assists and 12 digs. She also added a block assist to finish with 8.5 points.
- Breelyn Bender recorded seven kills and four block assists for nine total points. She had three kills on four error-free attacks in the opening set before adding three kills and three block assists during Army's third-set victory.
- Janie Deapen contributed seven kills, seven digs and two block assists. She also handled a team-high 32 serve-receive attempts and helped Army take an 18-16 fourth-set lead with a late kill and service ace.
- Naomi Chinchar led Army with 26 assists and added two digs, while Myrick contributed 16 assists as the Black Knights finished with 45 as a team.
- Nicole Stroud anchored Army's back row with a team-high 15 digs and added a service ace.
- Army finished with 49 kills, 45 assists, 48 digs and six total blocks, while the Black Knights hit .170 for the match.
- Army's best offensive performance came in the third set, when the Black Knights recorded 16 kills and hit .316, while holding Bucknell to 12 kills and a .132 hitting percentage.
- Army committed 26 attack errors compared with 17 for Bucknell, finishing with a .170 hitting percentage while the Bison hit .276.
- The Black Knights recorded three service aces against 10 service errors, while Bucknell finished with seven aces.
- Army was held to .000 hitting in the second set, while Bucknell hit .379 to take a 2-0 match lead.
- After hitting .316 in its third-set win, Army hit .128 in the fourth with eight attack errors as Bucknell closed out the match.
Up Next
Army will return to Gillis Field House to close the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. ET to host the Lafayette College Leopards.
Last season, the Black Knights swept the Leopards and have won eight consecutive games against Lafayette.
The match is slated for a 6 p.m. ET first serve. For fans who cannot make it to Gillis Field House, the matchup 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, online at www.goarmywestpoint.com and turn on notifications for volleyball in the Army Athletics app.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
