Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
11-5,5-2Patriot
Bucknell
7-9,4-3Patriot
Murakami's 20 Kills, Chinchar's Career Day Fuels Volleyball in Sweep Over Bucknell
October 10, 2025 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (11-5, 5-2) started the weekend right on Friday, sweeping the Bucknell University Bison (7-9, 4-3), 3-0.
With the win, the Black Knights earn their fourth sweep of the season, and their third during Patriot League play, sweeping Lafayette, Holy Cross and now Bucknell.
Despite the Army sweeping the Bison, the match was action-packed, featuring 28 tie scores and 12 lead changes.
Army ultimately took the match in straight sets, 25-18, 25-20 and 29-27.
Match Recap
Army started the match slowly, falling behind 4–0 as Bucknell found early rhythm, but the Black Knights quickly regrouped.
A kill from Marin Harvey off a set by Naomi Chinchar put Army on the board and began to swing momentum back in their favor.
Chloe Murakami then energized the team with a service ace and a series of powerful kills that cut into the deficit. Mackenzie Lynch and Harvey each found success at the net, while Hannah Hankerson and Michelle Parker added timely points to bring the score even at 8–8.
As the set progressed, Murakami continued to thrive on the outside, with Chinchar distributing the offense efficiently across all positions. Army pulled ahead 15–13 following another Harvey kill in the middle and began to take control.
Late in the set, Lynch and Murakami delivered consecutive kills to extend the lead, and Murakami followed with a key service ace to make it 23–18. On set point, Lynch converted off another set from Chinchar, and Harvey teamed with Victoria Kasanganay for a block to finish the frame 25–18, giving Army the early 1–0 match lead.
The Black Knights carried their momentum into the second set, striking first on another Harvey kill. Both teams traded points early before Kasanganay and Murakami provided kills that kept Army steady through the back-and-forth exchanges.
Nicole Stroud gave Army a lift from the service line with an ace, and she was later joined by Lynch and Parker, who added a crucial block that widened the gap
Harvey remained efficient on the right side, while Murakami continued to convert from the outside thanks to well-timed assists from Chinchar.
Midway through the set, Hankerson delivered two service aces within three points to give Army a 16–14 advantage and force Bucknell on the defensive.
From there, Lynch, Murakami, and Harvey kept the attack balanced, while Stroud anchored the defense with solid passing and digs.
Down the stretch, Murakami and Harvey put away key kills to push Army ahead 23–20. Lynch followed with a kill to bring up set point, and Stroud sealed the frame with her second ace, giving Army a 25–20 victory and a commanding 2–0 lead in the match.
Bucknell opened the third set with another quick start, but Army responded immediately as Corrine Blackburn and Michelle Parker provided early kills to steady the offense.
Murakami and Lynch continued to pace the attack, trading points with Bucknell as the teams stayed neck and neck through a 10–10 tie. A service ace from Murakami helped Army gain a brief edge before Bucknell battled back to even the score again at 12–12.
Harvey and Parker contributed several strong swings through the middle, and Hankerson's service ace extended the Black Knights' lead to 15–13.
Lynch came alive at the net with back-to-back kills as Army maintained its lead at 18–15, though Bucknell refused to go away quietly, tying the score several more times late in the frame.
Each time Bucknell seemed poised to regain control, Murakami responded with clutch kills off precise sets from Chinchar.
The set intensified beyond 25-all, with both teams trading set points in a tense finish. Harvey and Lynch came through defensively at the net, while Blackburn delivered a late kill to push Army ahead.
Finally, Murakami closed out the night in dramatic fashion, recording back-to-back kills—including her 20th of the match—to secure the 29–27 win and complete the sweep at Gillis Field House.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Chloe Murakami led the way offensively with 20 kills on .212 hitting, while also adding three aces, 15 digs, and 23.5 total points in a dominant two-way performance.
- Mackenzie Lynch provided a consistent attacking presence with 11 kills on .235 hitting, alongside 10 digs, three total blocks, and 13.0 points.
- Marin Harvey delivered on the right side with 10 kills and a .286 hitting percentage, while adding three total blocks and 11.0 points overall.
- Naomi Chinchar commanded the offense with a career-high 45 assists, setting up Army's balanced attack with precision and tempo. She also contributed 15 digs, a block assist, and solid serving to keep Bucknell's defense off balance.
- Corrine Blackburn made a key impact off the bench with three kills on .286 hitting, three block assists, and 5.0 total points, helping close out critical late-set moments.
- Nicole Stroud was a spark from the back row with three service aces and 12 digs, playing a crucial role in serve-receive and transition defense.
- Hannah Hankerson was perfect on offense, tallying 1 kill on 2 swings (.500) while adding 3 service aces and 4.0 points in limited action.
- Michelle Parker chipped in 3 kills and 2 block assists, adding 4.0 points and defensive stability at the net.
- Victoria Kasanganay provided efficient production with two kills and two block assists, contributing 3.0 total points in her two sets of action.
- The Black Knights hit .221 as a team, totaling 50 kills in total. Army also recorded 48 assists, nine service aces, 12 total blocks, and 64 digs on the night.
- The team showed consistency at the net, improving their hitting efficiency from .214 in the first set to .275 in the second before finishing at .190 in the third.
Coach's Corner
"First off, I want to give credit to Bucknell," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said, "they were tied with us in the standings, so we knew we had a great team coming in today. We are very proud of our team. I mean, every day in the gym, they keep improving."
"I'm proud of their grit and proud of their work ethic and proud of their resilience," Kovaci Lee continued. "It got really tough in the end there. I'm so proud that we stayed calm in the end and to hit balls really hard, that takes some courage."
"Chloe has worked really hard. She's a senior now, and she was able to stay calm in that situation and played a crucial role in this win at the end. We were able to trust her, and you could tell very in the end, she wanted the ball."
"We had Corrine and Hannah come in, we had Naomi running the 5-1, and we had new personnel to come in at new places and make an impact. The starting six was pretty amazing today as well. I'm also very proud of Mackenzie Lynch today. She played well, she passed well, she served well and she dug well."
Up Next
The Black Knights continue their home stand and Alumni Weekend, taking on the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds.
Army will take on the Greyhounds on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. ET. The two teams split the season series in 2024, 1-1.
For fans who cannot make it to West Point on Saturday, the match will stream live on ESPN+.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point women's volleyball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_VB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
