Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
1-0,0-0Patriot
Providence
1-1,0-0Big East
Black Knights Hold off Friars
August 27, 2021 | Volleyball
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MATCH 1 |
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SCORE |
Army 3 , Providence 1 |
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RECORDS |
Army (1-0,0-0 PL) |
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LOCATION |
Gillis Field House |
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INVITATIONAL |
Army Invitational |
WEST POINT, N.Y. --- Army West Point volleyball opened the 2021 season with a 3-1 victory over Providence to close out the first day of the Army Invitational at Gillis Field House on Friday night.
Two Black Knights finished in double-digit kills as Cate Buckingham led the way with 12 kills followed by Savannah Bray with 11, while Mackenzie Karnig finished with four service aces. Freshman, Diana Ethridge, recorded 39 assists in her first collegiate match.
The Cadets took the first set from the Friars, winning 25-19. Karnig opened the set with back-to-back service aces to help give Army early momentum. The team went on a 6-0 run to lead 18-11 capitalizing on Providence's errors. Paige Fixemer and Bray went to work to keep the lead for the Cadets helping the team capture the early 1-0 lead in the match.
Providence came back swinging in the second set to tie the match at 1-1. The Friars went on an early 3-0 run to get their momentum started. The Black Knights battles back, taking over the lead with help from two kills from Fixemer, 7-4 Army lead. The Cadets made errors that allowed Providence to regain their momentum to take the match 25-23.
Army claimed the third set 25-22 taking the 2-1 advantage over Providence. The Cadets went on a 6-0 run during the set taking advantage of their opponents errors. Buckingham played a key role in the set with momentum changing kills, two to bring Army to set point, helping the team push to the victory. Karnig recorded another service ace to close the set.
The fourth set was a back and forth battle. Buckingham delivered back-to-back to give Army the 9-7 lead over Providence. Kai Nickerson followed with three straight kills to push the Black Knights' lead to 14-10. Fixemer contributed to the team's offensive fire bringing the Cadets to match point opening the path for Buckingham to close the match with her 12th kill.
Coach's Corner
"We had to work hard for this win," said head coach Alma Kavoci Lee. "A special shout out to our freshmen setter (Diana Ethridge) for her first collegiate start. Allanah (Cutler) the spark we needed at the beginning of the game, and Cate (Buckingham) came big in some critical moments. Overall proud of our team's work tonight, but we have a long way to go, that's the beauty of preseason matches. We get to grow and level up every time we step on the court. I am excited for tomorrow's matches."
Inside the Numbers
- Cate Buckingham recorded 12 kills with a .579 clip.
- The Black Knights recorded seven services supplied by four different Cadets.
- The Black Knights have won their last four opening matches of the Army Invitational.
Up Next
The Cadets prepare to square up with Merrimack on the second day of the Army Invitational on Aug. 28 at noon. The Black Knights will turn around to face Iona in the final match of the tournament at 6 p.m.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point women's volleyball, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_VB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
