Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
9-4,3-1Patriot
Holy Cross
6-10,0-4Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Holy Cross | 27 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 1 |
Lightsey, Deapen Post Career Highs as Volleyball Defeats Holy Cross in Four Sets
September 27, 2026 | Volleyball
WORCESTER, Mass. — Career performances from Marlee Lightsey and Janie Deapen helped Army West Point volleyball (9-4, 3-1) earn a four-set victory over Holy Cross (6-10, 0-4), 25-27, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22, on Sunday afternoon at Hart Center Arena.
After dropping a tightly contested opening set, the Black Knights responded by winning three straight. Army finished with 54 kills, 102 digs and 11 total blocks while limiting Holy Cross to a .075 hitting percentage.
Lightsey highlighted the victory with a career-high 17 kills on 47 attacks while adding 17 digs for a double-double. She also recorded a service ace and a block assist to finish with a match-high 18.5 points. Deapen also turned in a career day, setting career highs with 13 kills and 21 digs for her own double-double.
Juliette Myrick filled the stat sheet with seven kills, 27 assists, 15 digs and five block assists, while Army also received important contributions from its bench.
Kealakai Bandy delivered two critical kills in the third set, Breelyn Bender made an impact at the net in the fourth, and Ryan Leclair provided a second-set spark with a kill and service ace. Nicole Stourd, Army's libero, led all passers with a season-high 27 digs.
How It Happened
Army fell behind 3-0 to open the first set before Lightsey quickly helped settle the Black Knights with two kills during a 3-0 response.
The teams continued to trade points before Army took its first lead, 9-8, on a Myrick service ace. Holy Cross regained control and built a 14-11 advantage, but consecutive Lightsey kills helped Army pull back within one.
The Black Knights continued to battle, eventually turning a 19-17 deficit into a 20-19 lead behind kills from Michelle Parker and Deapen and a Holy Cross attack error. Army trailed again, 22-20, before Myrick's kill sparked a 4-0 run.
Myrick followed with a service ace to give Army set point at 24-22. The Crusaders answered, however, scoring three straight before Corrine Blackburn's kill tied the set at 25. Holy Cross claimed the final two points for a 27-25 opening-set win. Lightsey paced Army with five kills in the frame.
Army responded emphatically in the second set. After Blackburn opened the frame with a kill, the Black Knights used a lengthy serving run from Lightsey to take control. Deapen recorded two kills during the stretch, while Myrick and Parker also put balls away as Army turned a 3-3 tie into an 11-3 advantage.
The Black Knights continued to get production from throughout the lineup. Leclair entered midway through the frame and immediately made an impact, recording a kill to make it 13-6 before following with a service ace for a 15-6 advantage.
Blackburn added a block as Army maintained control. Holy Cross cut the deficit to four at 19-15, but Lightsey stopped the push with a kill before Parker and Myrick helped close out the frame. Army scored the final three points to take the set, 25-17, and even the match at one apiece.
The third set featured another strong start from Lightsey, who recorded three early kills and a service ace as Army built a 7-4 advantage. Parker, Deapen and Blackburn also contributed offensively before Holy Cross worked its way back and eventually took a 14-13 lead.
Army responded after the timeout, and the set remained tight through a 20-20 tie. With the Black Knights looking for a spark, Bandy stepped up off the bench at a critical moment.
Bandy recorded a kill to give Army a 20-19 advantage and then delivered another at 21-20. A Bandy-Parker block followed to stretch the lead to 23-20. After Holy Cross pulled within one, Lightsey put down her fifth kill of the set to give Army set point before a Crusader error finished the 25-22 victory.
Lightsey had five kills in the third, while Bandy was perfect on her four swings with two kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Myrick also converted both of her attacks for kills as Army hit a match-best .250 in the frame.
Army's depth became even more important in the fourth. The Black Knights opened the frame with Bandy and Bender on the floor, and Bender immediately delivered a kill to give Army a 2-1 advantage. Holy Cross responded and eventually built a 13-8 lead, forcing Army to use its second timeout.
Lightsey started the comeback with consecutive kills to make it 13-10 before Army's defense at the net took over.
With Chinchar serving, the Black Knights erased the deficit as Myrick and Bender combined for a block before Bender added another block. Army continued the run behind Holy Cross errors, with Myrick and Bender combining for another block as the Black Knights turned a 14-10 deficit into a 17-14 lead.
Holy Cross eventually tied the set at 19, but Deapen delivered when Army needed an answer. She recorded three kills during a 4-1 stretch that pushed the Black Knights ahead 22-20.
Lightsey followed with a kill for a 23-21 advantage before Deapen moved Army to match point. After Holy Cross fought off the first opportunity, Lightsey finished her career day with the match-clinching kill, securing the 25-22 set and the four-set victory.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Marlee Lightsey recorded a career-high 17 kills and added 17 digs for a double-double. She also had a service ace and a block assist and led Army with 18.5 points.
- Lightsey was especially important in the closing stages, recording five kills in the third set before helping spark Army's fourth-set comeback and ultimately putting down the match-winning kill.
- Janie Deapen set career highs with 13 kills and 21 digs, recording a double-double in the victory. She came through late with five kills in the fourth set, including three during Army's closing push.
- Kealakai Bandy provided a key lift off the bench, recording both of her kills in the third set. Bandy put Army ahead 20-19 and 21-20 before combining with Parker for a block that extended the lead to 23-20.
- Breelyn Bender stepped into a larger role and made an impact at the net, finishing with one kill and three block assists. Bender started the fourth set, recorded Army's first kill of the frame and played a central role in the blocking run that helped the Black Knights erase a five-point deficit.
- Ryan Leclair made the most of her opportunities, recording a kill and service ace during Army's decisive second-set run. She finished with two points and five digs.
- Juliette Myrick recorded seven kills, 27 assists and 15 digs while adding two service aces and five block assists for 11.5 points.
- Nicole Stroud anchored the back row with a match-high and season high 27 digs, while Naomi Chinchar added 17 assists and 15 digs.
- Army's defense held Holy Cross to .075 hitting for the match, including a -.044 mark in the second set and -.038 in the fourth. The Black Knights also finished with 102 digs and 11 total blocks.
Coach's Corne
Hear head coach Alma Kovaci Lee's thoughts about Army's gritty win over the Crusaders.
Up Next
Army stays on the road for a second-consecutive match on October 2, heading to Lewisburg, Pa., to play the Bucknell University Bison inside Davis Gymnasium.
The two teams split the regular season series last season, sweeping their opponent in each respective teams' home game. The Black Knights have won three of the last five against the Bison.
The match is slated for a 6 p.m. ET first serve. For fans who cannot make it to Worcester, 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.
