Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
6-2,0-0Patriot
Fairfield
4-3,0-0Metro
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 27 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Army West Point | 25 | 22 | 12 | 0 |
Volleyball Sees First Loss in September Against Fairfield
September 11, 2026 | Volleyball
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (6-2) saw its six-match winning streak come to an end Friday, falling to Fairfield University (4-3) in straight sets, 27-25, 25-22, 25-12, at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
Army finished with 38 kills while hitting .126, while Fairfield recorded 41 kills at a .282 clip. Kennedy Jones led Army with nine kills, while Kealakai Bandy and Corrine Blackburn each added six.
Juliette Myrick finished with 21 assists, while Nicole Stroud led the defensive effort with 17 digs.
How It Happened
Army jumped out to a strong start in the opening set, using consecutive Jones kills and a pair of Fairfield attack errors to build a 4-1 advantage.
The Black Knights continued to control the frame, extending the lead to 12-5 following an Audrey St. Clair service ace.
Fairfield gradually worked its way back, cutting Army's advantage to 19-18 before the Black Knights pushed back ahead, 22-19, on a Jones kill.
The Stags answered with four consecutive points to take a 23-22 lead. Jones tied the set at 23 before Army reached set point at 24-23 and again at 25-24, but Fairfield scored the final three points to steal the opener, 27-25.
Jones paced Army with five kills in the first set, while the Black Knights hit .217.
The second set featured 14 ties as neither side was able to create much separation.
Army broke a 13-13 tie with a Bandy kill and a Marlee Lightsey ace before Blackburn helped the Black Knights build an 18-16 advantage.
Army later led 20-17, but Fairfield responded with a 7-1 run to reach set point at 24-21. Jones fought off one set point before the Stags closed the frame, 25-22.
Fairfield carried the momentum into the third set, using an early run to take an 8-4 advantage before stretching the lead to 13-5.
Army was unable to recover as the Stags closed out the match with a 25-12 third-set victory. The Black Knights were held to eight kills and a -.026 hitting percentage in the final frame.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Jones led Army offensively with nine kills and added a block assist, finishing with 9.5 points.
- Blackburn recorded six kills on 13 attacks with just one error, posting a team-best .385 hitting percentage. Bandy also finished with six kills and added three digs.
- Myrick totaled 21 assists, four kills and five digs, while Naomi Chinchar added 15 assists.
- Stroud led the Black Knights with 17 digs, while Hannah Hankerson added nine and Lightsey finished with seven.
- Audrey St. Clair earned three services aces off the bench, a career-high for the plebe.
- The loss snapped Army's five-match winning streak and its run of 14 consecutive set victories dating back to the Black Knights' five-set win over UAlbany.
Up Next
Army will conclude its appearance at the Hofstra Invitational on Saturday, September 12 at 5 p.m. ET as they take on tournament host, the Hofstra University Pride.
For fans who can't make it to Hempstead, the game will stream live on FloCollege.
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.
