Volleyball Swept by Billikens on Night One in Saint Louis

Thursday, September 5

Saint Louis, MO

7:00 PM

Army West Point

2-2,0-0Patriot

Saint Louis

2-2,0-0Atlantic 10

Army West Point

Saint Louis

Volleyball Swept by Billikens on Night One in Saint Louis

September 05, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Army Volleyball took to the road once more on Thursday for their second tournament of the season. The Black Knights took on tournament host Saint Louis Billikens for their first match of the Saint Louis Invitational and were sent away wanting in a 3-0 sweep by their hosts.

Match Recap
The Black Knights got off to a slow start in the match as Saint Louis pulled away to a 5-1 lead in the first set with four Billiken kills before they pulled back within one point of the tournament hosts with kills from senior Kingsley Wallace and junior Chloe Murakami and an ace from junior libero Ashli Alcala-Romero, bringing the match to a 7-8 tally.

The Billikens continued to control the pace of the set with runs of 2-1, 4-1, and 4-2 to carry the host team to a 22-16 lead. The Black Knights sought to take advantage of an attack error from Saint Louis, but an Army missed serve and two Billiken aces sealed the first set in Saint Louis' favor.

Army hit the gas early in the second set with kills from Murakami and freshman middle blocker Tatum Grimes, helping the Black Knights to a 5-3 lead. A trio of kills from sophomore setter Juliette Myrick brought Army tied with Saint Louis after a brief surge from the Billikens. Grimes added another kill shortly after to give the Black Knights the go-ahead point.

The home team refused to back down, however, and found the momentum for an 8-0 run to regain the lead and fly up to a 17-11 lead. Army's squad fought to regain ground with kills from freshman outside hitter Kealakai Bandy and Myrick, but the Billikens kept the pressure high with a slate of kills of their own to bring the second frame to a 22-15 tally.

The set moved up to 23-16 after an attacking error and kill from the Billikens, but junior outside hitter Norah Shattan delivered a kill for the Black Knights to hold off Saint Louis' advance.

An Army service error saw the Billikens take their first set point opportunity of the second frame, but Bandy ripped a kill through Saint Louis' middle back to buy more time for the Black Knights. The home team secured their second set of the match with a kill from the outside shortly after.

With their backs against the wall, the Black Knights got to work in the third set, pulling ahead to a 3-1 lead and holding off Billiken advances with kills from Wallace, Lynch, and Murakami.

After the Black Knights held the edge through 10-9, the Billikens drew ahead for the first time in the third frame at 11-10 after an attacking error from Army. The Black Knights stuck with Saint louis as the match wore on, finding a tie once more at 14-14 after a pair of Murakami kills.

Saint Louis drew away with a 3-0 lead before the Black Knights pulled within one after forcing an attacking error and notching another kill from Wallace. A second 3-0 run from the Billikens brought the third set to 20-16 before the Black Knights started their next surge.

A Wallace kill and two service aces from Murakami forced a timeout from Saint Louis and brought the third set to just a one-point differential at 20-19. The Billikens pulled in front once more with a 4-0 run but were cut off at match point by a kill from Mackenzie Lynch.

Army's squad forced an attack error from the Billikens, sparking a ray of hope of forcing a fourth set, but a kill from Saint Louis sealed the match in the home team's favor.

Black Knight Bullet Points

Kingsley Wallace led the Black Knights' offense with eight kills on a .107 hitting percentage.
Kealakai Bandy and Norah Shattan were Army's most effective hitters with hitting percentages of 1.000 and .667 respectively and two kills apiece.
Juliette Myrick served as the squad's primary setter for the match, recording 20 assists and six kills in the match.
Ashli Alcala-Romero tallied a team-high 16 digs in the match, followed by Chloe Murakami with 13. Murakami also picked up seven kills in the match, the second-highest tally on the team.
Murakmi earned the most points for the Black Knights in their Thursday night matchup with her seven kills and three service aces combining for 10 points.

Coach's Corner
"We are definitely challenging ourselves this pre-sesaon," commented Head Coach Alma Kovaci Lee. "We took a loss to a very good Saint Louis team. They have graduate students, physicality, and are wellcoached."

"We are falling forward – learning lessons and getting better for conference play" said Kovaci Lee. "Every set was a little better today. We are learning how to play tough as a team."

Up Next
Army's squad will return to action at Chaifetz Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 6^th for their second match of the Saint Louis Invitational. The Black Knights will face the Redbirds of Illinois State at 5:00pm ET.

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.