Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
21-9,11-5Patriot
Loyola (Quarterfinals)
13-18,6-10Patriot
Army Advances to Patriot League Semis With Win Over Loyola
November 19, 2019 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point volleyball team opened the Patriot League Tournament with a 3-1 quarterfinals victory over Loyola (Md.) on Tuesday.
The win advances the Black Knights to a semifinals matchup with #2 Colgate in Washington, D.C. on Saturday Nov. 23.
"This was a great win," Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "Loyola came to play tonight and we had to fight for it and I am happy with how our team responded."
That fight started early on in the match, as both teams hit over .300 in the first set. Sydney Morriss' eight first set kills paved the way for a 25-23 set victory for Army. The second set was quite different, with both teams hitting under .100, Loyola was able to rebound and win the set 25-22 to even the match. Army relied on their net-front play in the third, recording seven blocks en route to a 25-22 set win. In the fourth, Army's offense returned to its first set form, hitting a match-best .341 to win the set 25-21 clinch the match 3-1.
"Our seniors have done so much for this program so it was so nice to see them close out their home careers with a win," Kovaci Lee said. "No matter who Sydney and Courtney had in front of them, they were scoring. I said just keep giving balls to Sydney because she was ready for everything and Courtney taking that big swing to clinch the match, that shows mental toughness."
Morriss finished the match with a career-best 25.5 points, tying her career-high in kills with 22. She also recorded 12 digs to complete the double-double. Courtney Horace was strong as well, recording 15 kills with a .323 hitting percentage. Setter Hannah Presley also had a career night, posting a career-best 49 assists in the contest.
Army now turns it attention to Colgate, who finished the regular season tied for first in the conference at 15-1.
"Colgate is a very good team, they are regular season co-champions," Kovaci Lee said. "I know we will play really well and I know we can beat them. It is a matter of us clicking on all cylinders. It is the end of the season and I really like the way we played today. It's good to head into the semifinals coming off a tough win like this one. We're ready to play."
The Patriot League semifinals and finals will be held at American University this weekend. Army's match against Colgate will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m.
