Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
10-9,4-6Patriot
American
15-4,10-0Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | 21 | 22 | 23 | 0 |
| American | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
October 23, 2026 | Volleyball
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Army West Point volleyball (10-9, 4-6) fell to American University (15-4, 10-0) in three tightly contested sets Friday evening at the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center, 25-21, 25-22, 25-23.
The match featured 29 ties and 14 lead changes, with Army continuing to challenge the Eagles throughout all three sets.
Hannah Hankerson and Marlee Lightsey led Army offensively with 10 kills apiece. Lightsey posted a team-best .364 hitting percentage on 22 attacks, while Hankerson added 14 digs and a block for a team-high 10.5 points. The kills, digs and points were all career-bests for Hankerson.
Kennedy Jones followed with eight kills, while Michelle Parker contributed seven kills on a .278 hitting percentage. Juliette Myrick directed the Black Knights' offense with 26 assists, four kills, six digs and two service aces.
Defensively, Nicole Stroud recorded a team-high 15 digs, while Naomi Chinchar added 12 digs and 13 assists.
How It Happened
Army and American traded points throughout the opening stages of the first set, with Parker and Jones helping the Black Knights stay within striking distance. A kill from Hankerson tied the frame at nine before Stroud delivered a service ace to even the score again at 11.
Bandy then recorded consecutive kills to give Army a 13-12 advantage, and Parker followed with another finish to extend the lead to 15-12 heading into the media timeout.
American responded with a nine-point run to take a 21-15 lead, but Army continued to battle. Lightsey and Victoria Filippova recorded consecutive kills before Parker added another to pull the Black Knights within three at 21-18.
Hankerson contributed two late kills, while Chinchar delivered a service ace to make it 24-21, but American closed out the 25-21 victory on the following point.
Parker and Hankerson paced Army with three kills apiece in the opening frame, while Stroud and St. Clair each recorded four digs.
The Black Knights opened the second set with renewed offensive momentum, taking an early 8-5 lead behind kills from Parker, Myrick, Lightsey and Hankerson. Hankerson recorded three kills during the opening stretch, forcing an American timeout.
The Eagles responded with a 6-0 run to move ahead 11-8, but Army answered behind Lightsey and Parker. Myrick then delivered a service ace to tie the set at 13 before Jones followed with a kill to put the Black Knights back in front, 14-13.
Army continued to battle through the middle stages as Lightsey and Jones helped extend the lead to 17-15. American regained the advantage at 18-17, but a block from Hankerson and Victoria Kasanganay tied the frame at 18 before Hankerson added a kill to put Army ahead, 19-18.
The teams remained close until American used a 3-0 run to build a 23-20 advantage. Kasanganay responded with a kill, and an American attack error pulled Army within one at 23-22, forcing an Eagles timeout.
American answered with the final two points to secure the 25-22 victory and take a 2-0 match lead.
Army hit a match-best .333 in the second set, recording 16 kills with just three attack errors. Hankerson and Lightsey each finished with four kills, while Parker and Jones added three apiece.
Army carried its offensive momentum into the third set, overcoming an early 4-1 deficit behind consecutive kills from Jones. Hankerson then added a kill to tie the frame at five before Myrick and Hankerson combined for three straight kills to give the Black Knights an 8-5 advantage.
After American battled back to tie the set at eight, Lightsey helped Army regain control. A kill from Chinchar and a Myrick service ace pushed the lead to 13-10 before Lightsey and Jones added consecutive kills to extend the advantage to 15-10.
The Eagles responded with a 4-0 run to cut Army's lead to 15-14, but Lightsey and Parker delivered kills to keep the Black Knights in front.
American eventually tied the set at 17 and moved ahead 18-17. Kasanganay answered with a kill before Hankerson and Lightsey helped Army regain the lead at 20-19.
Lightsey delivered another kill to give the Black Knights a 21-20 advantage, but American scored three consecutive points to move ahead 23-21. Myrick responded with a kill to pull Army within one, 23-22, before the Eagles reached match point.
Army remained alive following an American service error, but the Eagles recorded the final kill to take the 25-23 victory and complete the sweep.
Lightsey led Army with five kills on 11 error-free attacks in the third set, hitting .455. Jones added four kills, while Myrick recorded three kills on five attacks for a .600 hitting percentage and dished out 11 assists.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Hannah Hankerson had a career-day, finishing with 10 kills and 14 digs, adding a block assist for a team-high 10.5 points. She recorded four kills in the second set and three in both the first and third frames.
- Marlee Lightsey matched Hankerson with 10 kills, hitting a team-best .364 on 22 attacks while adding three digs. Lightsey recorded five kills without an attack error in the third set, hitting .455 in the frame.
- Kennedy Jones recorded eight kills and a block assist, finishing with 8.5 points. She contributed four kills in the third set, helping Army build a 15-10 advantage.
- Michelle Parker added seven kills on 18 attacks, hitting .278 while contributing a block assist. Parker recorded three kills in each of the first two sets.
- Juliette Myrick dished out a team-high 26 assists, adding four kills on a .273 hitting percentage, six digs and two service aces. She recorded 11 assists and three kills while hitting .600 in the third set.
- Nicole Stroud anchored Army's defense with 15 digs, adding two assists and a service ace.
- Naomi Chinchar recorded 13 assists and 12 digs, finishing with a double-digit defensive performance while contributing a kill and a service ace.
- Audrey St. Clair added eight digs, while Victoria Kasanganay recorded two kills and a block assist.
- Army finished with 45 kills, 41 assists, 61 digs, four service aces and two total blocks, hitting .216 for the match.
- The Black Knights improved their offensive efficiency as the match progressed, hitting .047 in the opening set before posting a .333 hitting percentage in the second and a .279 mark in the third.
- The match featured 29 ties and 14 lead changes, including 10 ties in each of the final two sets.
Coach's Corner
"The final score doesn't tell the whole story," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "We went toe-to-toe with an undefeated American team, and I couldn't be prouder of our fight. This young team continues to grow, believe in each other, and compete with so much heart. We are getting better every day, and I love the resilience and fight this group continues to show. No time to dwell, we're ready for another battle tomorrow on the road against Loyola. I'm really proud of our young warriors."
Up Next
The Black Knights conclude their road trip to the DMV on Saturday October 24, driving just north of the Nation's Capital to Baltimore, Md., to take on the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds.
The two teams face off for the first time since Army earned a 3-1 win in Gillis Field House over the Greyhounds on Sept. 18 in both teams' Patriot League opener.
The game in Reitz Arena has a scheduled first serve at 4 p.m. ET. For fans who cannot make it, the game 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.
