Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
10-12, 5-4Patriot
Holy Cross
5-14, 4-5Patriot
Volleyball Erases Early Deficit in Win at Holy Cross
October 18, 2014 | Volleyball
WORCESTER, Mass. - The Army volleyball team opened the second half of its Patriot League schedule with a 3-1 road victory over Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon. The Black Knights dropped the first set 25-22, before winning 25-23, 25-10 and 25-17.
The Black Knights improved to 10-12 on the year and moved above .500 in conference play (5-4) with the result. Holy Cross, who won the first meeting with Army 3-1, fell to 5-14 and 4-5 this season.
Nicole Perri and Rachel Gearon each posted double-digit kills with 17 and 12, respectively. Avery Alexander registered a double-double, the first of her career, with season-highs in assists (41) and digs (13). Deanna Dalton led Army defensively with 23 digs, while Carolyn Bockrath had a team-high three blocks.
"Avery did an excellent job stepping in at setter for us today," head coach Alma Kovaci said. "Our team performs well and makes great things happen when we play with a sense of urgency. I was proud of our team for working together and staying focused despite facing some challenges. Those challenges are opportunities for us and I love the depth of our team. It is great to start the second half of conference play on a high note."
After dropping a tightly contested opening set, Army bounced back to edge Holy Cross 25-23 in the second to level the match at one game apiece. Perri's kill broke an 8-8 deadlock and Army took a three-point advantage on Gearon's spike (12-9). Leading 12-10 following Mandy Sifferlen's point, Army added a second 3-0 spurt and built a 15-10 lead. The advantage stretched to 20-12 when Alexander put down a kill and capped a 12-4 run for the Black Knights. The deficit was too much to overcome for the Crusaders, who pulled within a point at 24-23 before Perri finished the job.
Army continued the momentum by closing out the third set with the final 13 points as Janaya Simmons held serve for the Black Knights. Ahead by a score of 12-10, Gearon contributed four kills and Perri had three during the stretch as Army took a 2-1 lead in the match.
In the decisive fourth set, Army scored six of the first eight points and never blinked in the 25-17 triumph. Gearon had four kills in the fourth set, while Perri, Jaden Pickell and Amber Clay each were responsible for three.
The Black Knights return home next weekend for a pair of matches against Lehigh and Bucknell. Friday's match versus the Mountain Hawks is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Gillis Field House.
