Volleyball Travels to Face Navy, Lafayette

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point volleyball team hits the road for its last four matches of the season as the Black Knights look to secure one of the top two seeds for the Patriot League Tournament. The Cadets travel to Annapolis, Md., Friday night to take on the Midshipmen at Alumni Hall (7 p.m.) and to Easton, Pa., Saturday evening (5 p.m.) where they will face Lafayette.

"We are excited to travel to play Navy and Lafayette this weekend," said head coach Alma Kovaci. "We know that Navy and Lafayette will give us their absolute best. Navy plays great defense and has the never-quit attitude. They like to run a fast offense and are balanced team. Both matches will be a great fight."

The Black Knights have an 18-7 overall record and are 10-2 in the Patriot League, with its only two losses coming from an American team that is undefeated in conference play. With 10 conference wins under its belt, Army clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth, it was announced by the conference on Sunday.

"As the regular season is coming to an end, we continue to focus on bettering our game," said Kovaci. "As coaches, we analyze rotations, techniques and create certain situations in practice where our team finds some discomfort and allow them to work through it. Through the process, we learn to work together, trust each other and rely on the power of the team.

"Since day one, this team has bought into the importance of preparation and look forward to getting better every day. They don't go easy on each other, even when I ask them to do so. I love this team's mentality and chemistry. It's been so much fun coaching these smart, funny and energetic young women."

Vanessa Edwards has been a constant for the Cadets, and this season alone she has amassed 1,001 assists for an assist per set average of 10.76. She has also accumulated 288 digs and a team-high 24 service aces.

Carolyn Bockrath leads the team in kills per set (2.81) and points per set (3.39) this season. Nicole Perri has been climbing the ranks in the offensive categories after accumulating 246 total kills to average 2.71 points per set. Vanessa Wesley is also a big contributor to the offense with a season-high hitting percentage of .427 for the Cadets and the conference.

Shannel Chong is the constant on defense with a conference-leading 4.59 digs per set. Bockrath has chipped in 80.0 blocks this season and is followed by Wesley who has tallied 74.0, both average 0.89 blocks per set for the Black Knights.

As a team, the Cadets lead the league in two statistical categories. Army ranks first in kills with an average of 13.86 per set, and in assists with 12.87 per set.

Earlier this season, the Black Knights defeated Navy in a five set thriller at Gillis Field House to clinch the coveted Star. The Mids (6-19, 4-8 Patriot League) went on a 4-2 streak after losing to Army.

Dorothy Murray leads Navy offensively with 2.51 kills per set and 153 total kills. Maggie Phillips follows with 169 kills and an average of 2.28 per set. Patricia Mattingly paces the Mids' offense with 7.31 assists per set. Sydney Shearn has tallied 223 digs to average 3.48 per set on the season.

Lafayette resides at 11-12 overall and 3-9 in conference play. The Leopards fell to Army, 3-0, at West Point earlier this season. The Black Knights dominated in every statistical category and held a 59-23 advantage in points, 44-20 lead in kills, 43-19 edge in assists and recorded an 11-1 ratio in blocks.

For up-to-date information about Army volleyball, please follow @ArmyWP_VB on Twitter and Instagram.

How to Follow vs. Navy:
Live stats: http://www.navysports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wvolley.html?event=1432689&school=navy&sport=wvolley&camefrom=&startschool=&
Live video: http://bit.ly/PLNetwork

How to Follow vs. Lafayette:
Live stats: http://www.goleopards.com/gametracker/launch/gt_wvolley.html?event=1433252&school=lafa&sport=wvolley&camefrom=&startschool=&
Live video: http://bit.ly/PLNetwork

Volleyball Travels to Face Navy, Lafayette

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Players Mentioned

Carolyn Bockrath

Shannel Chong

Vanessa Edwards

Nicole Perri

Vanessa Wesley

Army West Point Athletics