Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Loyola Maryland
Volleyball Travels to Baltimore for Rematch Against Loyola Maryland
October 17, 2025 | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (12-5, 6-2) heads to Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday to take on the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (4-13, 2-6) for the second time this season.
This will be the first time Army will play a team in Patriot League play this season. Just last Saturday, October 11, the Black Knights defeated the Greyhounds, 3-1, to finish their annual Alumni Weekend on a strong note.
Army visits Reitz Arena in Baltimore on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a 4 p.m. ET match against Loyola Maryland.
For fans who can't make it to the match at Reitz Arena, the match will stream live on ESPN+.
ARMY STORYLINES:
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEKEND: The Black Knights returned to Gillis Field House for their Alumni Weekend, ultimately going 2-0 after defeating Bucknell and Loyola Maryland. The weekend was highlighted by three career-high performances. Chloe Murakami tied a career-best 20 kills in the match against Bucknell, while Nicole Stroud earned a career-high 31 digs, and Naomi Chinchar had 46 assists against Loyola Maryland.
MURAKAMI MAGIC: Chloe Murakami has played an essential role in Army's 6-2 start in Patriot League play. Murakami leads the team in league play with 116 kills and 127.0 points, averaging 4.14 kills per set and 4.54 points per set during league play. Last week, the senior tied her career-high of 20 kills against Bucknell. She was named Patriot League Player of the Week on Sept. 30, the first Army athlete to earn the honor in 2025.
CHINCHAR ON THE ASSIST: Over the past five matches, sophomore Naomi Chinchar has taken control of Army's offensive operations. The setter has averaged 36.8 assists during the span, earning 30+ assists in four of the matches played. She now leads the team with 361 assists this season, and finished last weekend with 91 assists, earning a career-high 46 assists against Loyola Maryland.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: Senior Mackenzie Lynch serves as one of the primary driving forces of not only Army's attack, but also all aspects on the floor. The senior has had 10+ kills in 14 of Army's 17 games this season, including a season-high 20 kills against Green Bay. Lynch is second the team in kills (218), points (250.0) and service aces (13). She also leads the team with 193 digs (3.02 per set) and adds 36 blocks, the highest outside of middle blockers on the team.
DEFENDING THE BACK LINE: Sophomore Nicole Stroud has reemerged as the primary libero for Army during Patriot League play. Stroud currently has 82 digs during league play, averaging 2.93 per set, which sits as the third best on the team. The sophomore also sent a new career-high of 31 digs in Army's four-set win over Loyola Maryland. With the 31 digs, Stroud became the first Black Knight since 2019 to earn 30+ digs, with Ana Oglivie earning 30 against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 16. 2019.
THE RISE OF PARKER: Michelle Parker has quickly risen as an impact player in the middle for the Black Knights. Parker also leads the team with a .311 hitting percentage, is second with 40.0 total blocks and is fourth on the team with 0.83 blocks per set. She earned career-high 10 kills, .600 hitting percentage, and 13.5 points alongside a season-high seven blocks at Navy on Sept. 19.
FEELING THE (BLACK)BURN: Freshman middle blocker Corrine Blackburn had a career-best weekend last week. Blackburn set four career-highs against Loyola Maryland, finishing with eight kills while hitting .438 and adding 11.0 points. She also finished with five total blocks in the match, the third time this season Blackburn has finished with 3+ total blocks. She is also third on the team this season, averaging 0.84 blocks per set.
SETTING THE STANDARD: Army holds some of the best numbers in NCAA Division I in several statistical categories. Army's defense is ranked in the top 20 in the nation, averaging 16.56 digs per set. The team is also in the top 60 or higher in three other statistical categories, including opponent hitting percentage (47), kills per set (60) and team attacks per set (9). They are also just outside the top 65 in assists per set (67).
DIGGING FOR THE WIN: The Black Knights are one of the top teams in the country in defending their back line. Army currently averages 16.56 digs a set, which sits as the 19th-best mark in NCAA Div. I, above schools including Texas, Penn State, Louisville, Creighton, Pitt, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Mackenzie Lynch leads Army with 193 digs this season, with Chloe Murakami adding 167 and Annette Lee adding 166. The duo of Army setters, Naomi Chinchar and Juliette Myrick adding 159 and 124 digs respectively, and Nicole Stroud sits just below the 100 dig mark with 98 so far this season.
History with Loyola Maryland
- The Black Knights lead the series, 18-8
- Current Streak: Army, 2 wins
- Last Army win: Oct. 11, 2025, 3-1
- Last Loyola Maryland win: Sept. 28, 2024, 3-2
Scouting the Greyhounds
- Loyola Maryland is 4-13 to start the season with a 2-6 league play record, placing them in seventh in the Patriot League standings. Their conference wins include victories over Holy Cross (Sept. 19) and Navy (Sept. 27).
- Alija Pittenger is in her eleventh season at the helm, posting a 103-174 overall record during her tenure. Before heading to Baltimore, Pittenger spent six seasons at Fairfield, finishing with a 113-77 record.
- Kacy Sekunda leads the Greyhounds with a team-high 173 kills in just 14 matches played, all while hitting . 196 percent. She is also second on the team with 200 assists and third on the team with 146 digs in 2025.
- Gabi Verdicchio also helps run the offense with a team-high 200 assists while also adding 12 service aces. Five Greyhounds also have over 20 blocks: Mariah Sanabia (33.0), Elsie Afful (30.0), Ellie Joffe (29.0), Morgan Crawford (28.0) and Kacy Sekunda (21.0).
- Addie Huber leads Loyola Maryland in two categories, digs and service aces. She leads the Greyhounds with 284 digs (4.37 per set) alongside 22 service aces so far this season.
