Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Sam Houston State
Volleyball Heads to Lone Star State for Three Showdowns at UTA Tournament
September 03, 2026 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (2-1) will hit the road for the first time in the 2026 season this weekend, heading to the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, for the UTA Tournament on September 4-5.
The Black Knights will play two games on the first day of the tournament, taking on Sam Houston State for the first time in program history on Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. ET, then will play Kent State for the first time since 2019 on the same day at 3 p.m. ET.
Army will conclude its time in the Lone Star State on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 12 p.m. ET, taking on host UT Arlington, also for the first time in program history. Fans can watch that matchup on ESPN+.
ARMY STORYLINES:
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: The Black Knights opened the 2026 season last week at West Point inside Christl Arena, hosting Iowa, Sacred Heart and UAlbany. Army finished the week with a 2-1 record, first seeing a 0-3 loss to Iowa before closing the weekend with a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart and a 3-2 win against UAlbany. Senior Juliette Myrick and Kennedy Jones were each named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances, leading Army to a second-place finish. It was also the first time volleyball was played inside Christl Arena since 2015.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Sophomore Kennedy Jones proved to be the offensive standout for the Black Knights in weekend one of action. She finished the weekend leading the team with 32 kills (3.12 per set) on a team-best .319 hitting percentage, while also adding a team-high 10 blocks. Her standout performance 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 went on to earn Black Knight Invitational Tournament honors.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: Juliette Myrick finished the week as the Black Knights' most well-rounded performer, leading Army to a 2-1 record at the Black Knight Invitational. She directed Army's offense with a team-best 75 assists (6.25 per set) while also adding a team-high eight service aces. 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). She went on to earn Black Knight Invitational Tournament honors.
ACE ACE BABY: In the first week of the 2026 season, the Black Knights showed their aggression on the service line. Army currently sits 12th in all of Division I volleyball in aces per set, with the team averaging 2.58 per set. Stonehill and Norfolk State leads the country with 3.13 per set, with Army holding a better ace per set stat than powerhouses including Texas, Penn State, Louisville, Creighton, Pitt, Wisconsin and Nebraska.
LONE STAR CONNECTIONS: Of the Black Knights' 20-member squad, six members of the team hail from the state of Texas: Kealakai Bandy (Frisco), Kenndey Jones (Pearland), Nicole Stroud (Fort Worth), Audrey St. Clair (Rockwall), Marlee Lightsey (New Braunfels) and Janie Deapen (Rockwall). These six will get the chance to play in their home state Labor Day Weekend as the Black Knights head to Arlington, Texas for the UTA Tournament, where they will take on Sam Houston State, Kent State and UT Arlington.
WINNINGEST HEAD COACH: Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee is the winningest coach and longest-tenured coach in Army Volleyball program history with a 352-188 record as she enters her 20th season with the program. She reached the record in 2024 in her 18th season, breaking the Army Volleyball all-time coaching wins record formerly held by Bob Gambardella. Last season, Kovaci Lee also became the third head coach in Patriot League history to earn 200 Patriot League wins. She has also led Army to back-to-back Patriot League Championship appearances.
History with Sam Houston State
- This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
History with Kent State
- The Black Knights lead the series, 2-0
- Current Streak: Army, 2 wins
- Last Army win: Sept. 14, 2019, 3-1
- Last Kent State win: N/A
History with UT Arlington
- This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point women's volleyball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_VB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
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.
