Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
13-5,7-2Patriot
Loyola Maryland
4-14,2-7Patriot
Volleyball Takes Four-Set Victory Against Loyola Maryland, Sweeping Season Series
October 18, 2025 | Volleyball
BALTIMORE, Md. — Army West Point volleyball (13-5, 7-2) extended its win streak to three-straight on Saturday, taking a road-match victory over the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (4-14, 2-7), 3-1.
With the win, the Black Knights sweep the season series against the Greyhounds, after earning a 3-1 victory on October 11 inside Gillis Field House.
Army won the first two sets 25–19 and 25–17, before Loyola Maryland earned its only set win in the third set, 25-17.
The Black Knights came back and dominated the fourth set, taking a 25–15 to claim the 3-1 match victory.
Match Recap
Army came out strong and never looked back in the opening stages of the set, setting the tone with clean execution and balanced offensive production.
Early on, Chloe Murakami and Juliette Myrick connected efficiently to generate points, with Murakami delivering early kills and Myrick distributing well to the outside hitters. Corrine Blackburn and Kennedy Jones both contributed kills from Myrick and Naomi Chinchar's sets, helping Army jump ahead 6–4.
The Black Knights' offensive rhythm began to click midway through the set, as Mackenzie Lynch found her stride with back-to-back kills. Chinchar's steady setting allowed Army to diversify its attack, and Myrick's consistency on second touches kept Loyola off balance.
After trading points through the middle stretch, Army began to separate with a strong push. Juliette Myrick added a well-placed kill to make it 20–17, and Chloe Murakami followed with another strike off Myrick's assist. A string of Loyola errors widened the gap, including two service miscues that gave Army free points down the stretch.
As momentum built, Breelyn Bender helped seal the deal with clutch finishing. Jones' late kill from Myrick pushed the score to 24–19, and Army closed the set when Nicole Stroud's serve forced a ball-handling error by Loyola's setter.
Army carried its momentum seamlessly into the second set, refusing to let up after a dominant opening frame.
Although Loyola managed to keep things close early on, the Black Knights' offense quickly found its rhythm once again. Juliette Myrick and Naomi Chinchar continued to set the tempo, feeding Mackenzie Lynch for efficient kills that put Army ahead 5–3.
After a brief back-and-forth exchange, Army's blocking and serving pressure began to take over. Breelyn Bender and Myrick combined for a key block to shift momentum, and Chloe Murakami capitalized moments later with a sharp kill from Chinchar's set.
The steady contributions from Corrine Blackburn and Kennedy Jones allowed Army to extend its lead, turning a tight 10–10 tie into a commanding advantage.
From that point forward, Army went on a dominant run that showcased its offensive balance and defensive discipline. Nicole Stroud sparked the surge with a service ace, while Murakami and Lynch continued to execute with precision from the outside. Loyola struggled to counter Army's relentless pace, committing a series of attack and service errors that widened the gap.
The Black Knights' attackers remained relentless. Murakami connected on another kill from Stroud's assist, and Army built the momentum and took full control at 20–14. Chinchar then reasserted herself, setting Lynch for consecutive kills and keeping Loyola on its heels.
As Army's run continued, Myrick and Chinchar orchestrated a clinical closeout. Myrick added back-to-back kills late in the set before Blackburn delivered the final strike, sealing the frame at 25–17.
After dominating the first two sets, Army entered the third with confidence, but Loyola responded with renewed energy and sharper execution.
The early points were competitive as Mackenzie Lynch, Kennedy Jones, and Chloe Murakami each found openings to keep Army within striking distance at 6–8. Naomi Chinchar continued to spread the offense effectively, connecting with multiple hitters across the front line, but Loyola capitalized on a few Army attack errors to gain a slim lead.
Midway through the set, Army began to show flashes of its earlier form. Juliette Myrick and Lynch worked in tandem to produce kills on consecutive rallies, while Murakami and Addie Huber added key points to close the gap to 11–14.
However, Loyola answered with a series of service aces and quick middle attacks, taking advantage of Army's defensive miscues to stretch the lead.
Even as Loyola's offense found a rhythm, Army kept fighting. Lynch and Murakami each delivered well-placed kills from Chinchar's sets, and Bender provided a strong presence at the net, finishing a late play to bring the Black Knights to 17–23.
Despite Army's resilience, Loyola maintained control down the stretch, using a balanced attack and efficient serving to close out the frame. Army ultimately dropped the set 17–25.
Army stormed into the fourth set determined to close out the match with authority, and did exactly that.
From the opening serve, the Black Knights dominated all phases of play, setting the tone with clean execution, balanced attacks, and relentless defensive pressure. Chloe Murakami opened the frame with back-to-back kills off Juliette Myrick's sets, while Corrine Blackburn and Breelyn Bender added early finishes that quickly pushed Army ahead 5–3.
With Naomi Chinchar directing the offense masterfully, Army's hitters came alive. Mackenzie Lynch delivered powerful kills that extended the lead, and Nicole Stroud contributed from the service line, fueling a commanding run.
Loyola was forced to call two timeouts as the Black Knights continued to roll, turning a 10–7 edge into a dominant 17–10 advantage behind consecutive kills from Stroud and Murakami.
Army's front line completely controlled the middle stages of the set. Bender and Lynch combined for key blocks that stifled Loyola's attempts to regain rhythm, while Myrick's precise setting kept the Greyhounds guessing.
As the set neared its conclusion, Army showed no signs of slowing down. Myrick and Chinchar kept the offense fluid, finding Blackburn and Murakami in stride, while Lynch hammered home three straight kills to cap the team's best offensive stretch of the night.
Blackburn's kill off Chinchar's assist sealed the frame 25–15, punctuating a statement victory for the Black Knights.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Army hit .361 as a team on 65 kills from 133 total attacks while holding Loyola to a .189 hitting percentage.
- The Black Knights recorded eight total team blocks, 60 assists, 54 digs and two service aces.
- Army's set-by-set hitting percentages were .378 in the first set, .345 in the second set, .216 in the third set, and .533 in the fourth set, a season-high.
- Mackenzie Lynch led the match offensively with a season-high 22 kills on 39 attacks (.410), alongside nine digs, two assists and one block assist, totaling 22.5 points. Lynch also led all hitters in the match.
- Chloe Murakami contributed 15 kills on 39 attacks (.256) with seven digs, one ace and one block for 16.5 total points.
- Juliette Myrick added nine kills (.353), 27 assists, 12 digs and two blocks in her return after not playing since Sept. 27 against Lafayette.
- Naomi Chinchar distributed the offense effectively, recording 26 assists and six digs.
- Corrine Blackburn was highly efficient at the net with seven kills on 10 attacks (.600) and added three blocks, earning 8.5 points.
- Breelyn Bender anchored the front-row defense with five kills on nine swings (.556) and two blocks, totaling 5.5 points.
- Kennedy Jones contributed a career-high seven kills on 16 attempts (.438) with one block for 7.0 points.
- Nicole Stroud led Army defensively with 14 digs, added four assists, and one ace.
Up Next
The Black Knights start a four-game home stand inside Gillis Field on Saturday, Oct. 25, taking on reigning Patriot League champion Colgate.
The two teams face off once this season in Hamilton, N.Y., with the Raiders taking a 3-0 sweep over Army. Since then, the Black Knights have been 3-0.
For fans who cannot attend the match at West Point, 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.
