Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
11-9,5-6Patriot
Loyola Maryland
7-13,5-6Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Loyola Maryland | 25 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 1 |
October 24, 2026 | Volleyball
BALTIMORE — Army West Point volleyball (11-9, 5-6) bounced back with a four-set victory over Loyola Maryland (7-13, 5-6) Saturday afternoon at Reitz Arena, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-21.
After dropping a closely contested opening set, the Black Knights responded by winning three consecutive frames, including a dominant third-set performance in which Army hit .562 with 20 kills and just two attack errors.
Michelle Parker delivered a career performance, recording 14 kills on 23 attacks for a .478 hitting percentage while adding two solo blocks and a block assist. Parker finished with a match-high 16.5 points, helping lead Army to its fifth Patriot League victory.
Marlee Lightsey paced the Black Knights with a match-high 15 kills and added 10 digs, while Juliette Myrick recorded 12 kills, 23 assists, six digs and four block assists. Victoria Kasanganay continued her strong offensive play with nine kills on a .389 hitting percentage and five block assists.
Nicole Stroud anchored Army's defense with 18 digs and five service aces, while Naomi Chinchar contributed 27 assists and 10 digs.
Army finished with 58 kills, 54 assists, 62 digs, eight service aces and nine total blocks while hitting .248 for the match. The Black Knights held Loyola to a .171 hitting percentage and outpaced the Greyhounds in kills, aces and blocks.
How It Happened
The opening set featured several momentum swings as Army and Loyola traded points throughout the early stages. Parker provided an immediate offensive spark, recording three consecutive kills to help the Black Knights stay within striking distance after falling behind 7-4.
Loyola extended its advantage to 13-9, but Army responded with a 5-0 run behind two kills from Lightsey, another from Parker and a Stroud service ace to take a 14-13 lead.
The Greyhounds regained control with four consecutive points to move ahead 17-14, but Army continued to battle. Lightsey delivered another kill before a Loyola attack error tied the set at 17.
Trailing 20-18, the Black Knights answered with a 3-0 run, highlighted by consecutive kills from Kasanganay, to take a 21-20 advantage. Kasanganay added another kill to put Army ahead 22-21, but Loyola scored three straight points to reach set point at 24-22.
Myrick kept Army alive with a kill, but the Greyhounds secured the 25-23 opening-set victory.
Parker and Lightsey each recorded five kills in the frame, while Kasanganay added three. Army finished with 14 kills but committed nine attack errors, hitting .116 in the opening set.
The Black Knights responded with a fast start to the second set, scoring the first five points behind consecutive Lightsey kills, an Audrey St. Clair service ace and a block from Myrick and Kasanganay.
Army continued to build its advantage as Parker and Myrick provided offense, extending the lead to 13-5. Kasanganay and Myrick then combined for another block to push the advantage to 15-8.
Stroud delivered consecutive service aces during a 3-0 Army run, giving the Black Knights a commanding 19-9 lead. Parker continued her strong performance with two more kills as Army maintained control.
The Black Knights reached set point at 24-14 before Loyola scored three consecutive points. A Greyhounds service error ultimately secured the 25-17 victory, evening the match at one set apiece.
Parker led Army with four kills on five error-free attacks for an .800 hitting percentage, while Myrick added three kills and two block assists. The Black Knights held Loyola to a .040 hitting percentage and recorded three service aces in the frame.
Army carried its momentum into the third set, opening with a Myrick kill before Kasanganay and Parker added early finishes. Lightsey and Parker helped the Black Knights establish an 8-4 advantage, while Kasanganay and Hankerson continued to contribute offensively.
The Black Knights created separation behind a balanced attack, with Myrick delivering a kill before combining with Kasanganay for a block to extend the lead to 13-7.
Kasanganay added another kill before Stroud delivered a service ace to push Army ahead 15-8. Lightsey followed with consecutive kills as the Black Knights extended their advantage to 17-9.
Loyola attempted to rally, cutting Army's lead to 19-15, but the Black Knights responded behind Jones and Myrick. Jones recorded a kill to make it 20-15 before Myrick added consecutive finishes during the closing stretch.
Lightsey delivered another kill to put Army ahead 23-18, and a Loyola attack error brought the Black Knights to set point. Parker closed out the 25-18 victory with her fourth kill of the frame, giving Army a 2-1 match lead.
The Black Knights delivered their most efficient offensive performance of the season's match, hitting .562 with 20 kills and just two attack errors. Myrick led the frame with four kills on five error-free attacks for an .800 hitting percentage, while Lightsey added five kills and Parker contributed four.
Army opened the fourth set with three consecutive points behind a Myrick kill and another finish from Lightsey. Loyola responded to tie the frame at three, but Parker and Lightsey helped the Black Knights maintain a narrow advantage through the early stages.
The Greyhounds moved ahead 8-6, but Jones delivered a kill before a Loyola attack error tied the frame at eight. Hankerson and Lightsey continued to provide offense as Army regained the lead at 12-10.
Loyola answered with a 6-1 run to take a 16-13 advantage, forcing the Black Knights to battle back. Myrick stopped the run with a kill before Jones recorded a solo block to cut the deficit to one.
Trailing 17-15, Parker delivered another solo block before a Loyola attack error tied the frame at 17. Jones followed with a kill to even the score again at 18 before Kasanganay and Bandy combined for a block to give Army a 20-19 advantage.
The Greyhounds regained a narrow 21-20 lead, but Kasanganay responded with a kill to tie the set at 21.
Army then scored the final four points of the match. A Loyola attack error put the Black Knights ahead 22-21 before St. Clair delivered a service ace to extend the advantage. Myrick followed with a kill to bring Army to match point, and Myrick and Kasanganay combined for a block to secure the 25-21 victory.
Army held Loyola to a .091 hitting percentage in the final set, forcing nine attack errors while recording four total blocks. Myrick led the Black Knights with four kills, while Lightsey added three and Kasanganay contributed two kills and two block assists.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Michelle Parker delivered a career performance with 14 kills and a match-high 16.5 points, hitting .478 on 23 attacks. She also recorded two solo blocks and a block assist.
- Parker recorded four kills on five error-free attacks in the second set, hitting .800. She added four more kills in the third set, including the set-clinching point.
- Marlee Lightsey led Army with 15 kills, hitting .213 on 47 attacks while adding 10 digs for a double-double. She recorded five kills in both the first and third sets.
- Juliette Myrick recorded 12 kills, 23 assists and four block assists, hitting .320 while adding six digs and a service ace. Myrick finished with 15 points and recorded four kills on five error-free attacks in the third set for an .800 hitting percentage.
- Victoria Kasanganay contributed nine kills on 18 attacks, hitting .389 while recording a team-high five block assists and 11.5 points. She combined with Myrick for the match-clinching block in the fourth set.
- Nicole Stroud anchored Army's defense with a team-high 18 digs and five service aces, including two aces in both the first and second sets.
- Naomi Chinchar dished out a team-high 27 assists and added 10 digs, helping Army record 58 kills and a .248 hitting percentage.
- Audrey St. Clair recorded 12 digs and two service aces, including a late ace that gave Army a 23-21 lead in the fourth set.
- Kennedy Jones contributed five kills, two digs and a solo block, finishing with six points. She recorded three kills on three attacks in the third set.
- Army finished with 58 kills, 54 assists, 62 digs, eight service aces and nine total blocks, holding advantages over Loyola in each category.
- The Black Knights hit a remarkable .562 in the third set, recording 20 kills on 32 attacks with just two errors. Army held Loyola to a .278 hitting percentage in the frame.
- Army held Loyola to a .040 hitting percentage in the second set and a .091 clip in the fourth, limiting the Greyhounds to seven kills in the second and forcing nine attack errors in the fourth.
- The match featured 26 ties and 14 lead changes, including 13 ties in the fourth set.
- Loyola finished with 46 kills and a .171 hitting percentage, led by Ava Nepkin and Morgan Crawford with nine kills apiece.
Coach's Corner:
"It was great team win today," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. I'd so proud of our grit and the way we continue to grow. Statistically, we keep improving, but what I love most is the confidence we're building and the toughness we're showing when the moments demand it most."
"Even when we're not at full strength, we keep adjusting, adapting, and finding ways to compete. This team continues to believe, fight, and grow together. Really proud of our warriors."
Up Next
The Black Knights return home to Gillis Field House on October 30, taking on the Holy Cross Crusaders for the second time this season.
The teams already faced off once this season with Army earning a 3-1 win over the Crusaders at the Hart Center on September 27.
The game is set for a 7 p.m. ET first serve. For fans that can't make it to West Point, 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.
