Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Colgate
Volleyball Takes on Colgate, Holy Cross in Week Two of Patriot League Action
September 24, 2026 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (7-4, 1-1) continues its journey through Patriot League play this week, first hosting the Colgate University Raiders (6-5, 1-1) before heading to Worcester, Mass., to take on the University of the Holy Cross Crusaders (6-8, 0-2).
First, Army closes a three-game home stand inside Gillis Field House on Friday, September 25, at 7 p.m. ET, hosting the Colgate University Raiders.
The Black Knights and Raiders split the regular season series with the Raiders, with each team winning their respective home match. The two teams also met in the 2025 Patriot League Tournament semifinals, with the No. 3 seed Army defeating the No. 2 seed Colgate, 3-2.
Then on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. ET, Army heads to the Heart of the Commonwealth to take on Holy Cross inside the Hart Center. The Black Knights have won 33 of the last 35 matchups between the two teams and currently hold a 14-game winning streak over the Crusaders.
Fans who cannot make it to Gillis Field House or the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass., can stream both games live on ESPN+.
ARMY STORYLINES:
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Army opened Patriot League play inside Gillis Field House, finishing 1-1 after first earning a 3-1 win against Loyola Maryland, then falling to the 2025 Patriot League champion American University Eagles, 0-3. The Black Knights were led by Michelle Parker, who finished with a team-high 22 kills (3.14 per set) while hitting at a .395 clip and adding five blocks. Marlee Lightsey also had a strong week, adding 20 kills, two blocks, one ace and 14 digs. She also notched her first career double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs against Loyola Maryland.
ACE ACE BABY: So far in 2026, the Black Knights prove to be one of the premier serving teams in the country. Army currently sits 17th in all of Division I volleyball in aces per set, with the team averaging 2.13 per set. It's also the best mark in the Patriot League. UNC-Asheville leads the country, averaging 2.78 per set. Naomi Chinchar leads the Black Knights with 17 so far this season, with Myrick adding 16, Janie Deapen adding 13 and Lightsey adding 11.
SETTING THE STANDARD: Through 11 games of the 2026 season, Army holds some of the best numbers in NCAA Division I in several statistical categories. The Black Knights are one of the best serving teams in the country, currently ranked 17th in aces per set at 2.13. Army's defense is currently 49th in the nation, averaging 15.15 digs per set. The team is also in the top 70 or higher in two other statistical categories, including assists per set (54) and kills per set (68).
LIGHT 'EM LIGHTSEY: This week's Rookie of the Week earns the honor for the third straight week. She becomes the first Army player since 2013 to receive the honor for three consecutive weeks, the second-longest streak in Army Volleyball history. The longest streak belongs to Olivia Fairfield, who won the award for four consecutive weeks in October of 2013, plus went on to win Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Lightsey finished the week with 20 kills, two blocks and one ace while also adding 14 digs. She also had her first career double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs against Loyola Maryland.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: Juliette Myrick continues to serve as the central piece to Army's offense this season. She directs the offense with a team-best 248 assists (6.36 per set) while also adding 16 service aces, the second-best mark on the team and fourth in the Patriot League. The lone senior was named the UTA Tournament MVP plus was named to the Black Knight Invitational All-Tournament Team. Myrick's best performance was in Army's win against UAlbany, where she finished with 12 kills (career-high), 16.0 points (career-high), 35 assists, nine digs and four service aces (career-high).
HOLDING DOWN THE BACK LINE: Nicole Stroud has served as Army's primary libero this season, setting the tone for Army's defense this season, who currently second in the Patriot League and 49th in the country in digs per set (15.15). The junior has 130 digs this season and averages 3.71 per set, numbers good for seventh in the Patriot League. Last week she earned a team-best 21 digs in six sets played, averaging 3.50 digs per set. Stroud also extended her streak of games without a reception error to five games, finishing this week with a 1.000 reception percentage.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Sophomore Kennedy Jones proved to be one of the offensive standouts for the Black Knights through this season. She leads the team with 110 kills (2.82 per set) while posting a .244 hitting percentage, while also adding a team-best 21 blocks. Her standout performance so far this season came against UAlbany, where she tallied 18 kills on a match-best .452 hitting percentage. Jones also contributed five blocks and finished with a career-high 20.5 points. She also had 13 kills on a .600 hitting percentage in Army's win over Liberty two weeks ago.
History with Colgate
- The Black Knights lead the series, 47-43
- Current Streak: Army, 2 wins
- Last Army win: Nov. 21, 2025, 3-2
- Last Colgate win: Sept. 28, 2024, 3-2
History with Holy Cross
- The Black Knights lead the series, 71-7
- Current Streak: Army, 16 wins
- Last Army win: Oct. 26, 2025, 3-0
- Last Holy Cross win: March 12, 2021, 3-1
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.
