Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
6-3,0-0Patriot
Hofstra
5-3,0-0CAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | 25 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 2 |
| Hofstra | 18 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Falls in Five Sets to Hofstra to Close Non-League Play
September 12, 2026 | Volleyball
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Army West Point volleyball (6-3) battled through five sets against Hofstra (5-3) on Saturday, but the Black Knights fell 2-3 at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
Army took the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-23, before Hofstra rallied to win the final three 25-23, 25-18 and 15-11.
Corrine Blackburn highlighted the Black Knights' effort with a career-high 14 kills, hitting .440 on 25 attacks with just three errors. Blackburn also added three block assists and finished with a team-high 15.5 points.
How It Happened
Army and Hofstra traded points throughout the opening set before the Black Knights began to create separation. Blackburn delivered four kills in the frame, helping Army move ahead 17-15 before Ryan Leclair added a service ace for an 18-15 advantage.
Hofstra cut the margin to 20-18, but Army closed the set with five straight points. Kealakai Bandy recorded a kill, Blackburn and Kennedy Jones combined for a block, and the Black Knights finished off a 25-18 opening-set win.
Hofstra opened the second set with four consecutive points, but Army answered with a 5-0 run behind kills from Jones and Michelle Parker and a Naomi Chinchar service ace.
The teams traded momentum through the middle of the frame before Army erased a late 20-18 deficit. Blackburn tied the set at 18 earlier in the stretch and later combined with Bandy for a block that gave the Black Knights a 21-20 lead.
With the score tied at 23, an Army challenge reversed the next point before Bandy's kill and a Hofstra attack error secured the 25-23 victory and a 2-0 match lead. Blackburn was a perfect 3-for-3 offensively in the set.
Army carried the momentum into the third, building a 13-8 advantage behind a block from Blackburn and Janie Deapen, a Juliette Myrick service ace and back-to-back Blackburn kills. The Black Knights later led 20-15 before Hofstra began to rally.
The Pride pulled even at 23 and scored the final two points to take the set, 25-23, and extend the match.
Hofstra jumped out to an early lead in the fourth, but Army responded with kills from Parker, Bandy and Marlee Lightsey to briefly move in front, 8-7.
The Pride regained control through the middle of the set and built a 15-12 advantage. Blackburn added multiple kills down the stretch, including points at 20-16 and 22-18, but Hofstra closed out the frame, 25-18, to force a fifth set.
The deciding set remained tight early before Hofstra built a 12-9 advantage. Lightsey provided Army's biggest spark with four kills on five attacks, while Blackburn added another kill.
The Black Knights pulled within two at 12-10 and 13-11, but Hofstra scored the final two points to take the fifth set, 15-11, and complete the comeback.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Blackburn recorded a career-high 14 kills on 25 attacks with just three errors for a .440 hitting percentage. She also added three block assists and finished with a team-best 15.5 points.
- Michelle Parker joined Blackburn in double figures with 11 kills while hitting .308, while Bandy added nine kills and nine digs.
- Juliette Myrick recorded eight kills, 25 assists and 14 digs, while Naomi Chinchar added 23 assists and 13 digs.
- Nicole Stroud led Army defensively with 22 digs. The Black Knights finished with 70 digs as a team.
- Marlee Lightsey provided a strong spark off the bench, finishing with seven kills on 11 attacks without an error for a .636 hitting percentage.
- Army finished with 58 kills and hit .170, while Hofstra recorded 59 kills at a .231 clip. The Pride held a 14-4 advantage in team blocks.
Coach's Corner
"We built a tough non-conference schedule for a reason, we wanted to be battle-tested before Patriot League play," head coach Alma Kovaci Lee said. "We opened with Iowa and finished against a tough, mature, international Hofstra team, and every match has challenged us in different ways. We've earned some hard-fought wins, and our three losses were all matches that were within our reach. We've been tested, we've learned, and we've gotten tougher because of it."
"I really liked the step our middles took today," Kovaci Lee continued. "Our defense continues to be relentless, and our hitters are competing with more confidence. There is still another level for this team, and that's what excites me. We know who we are; we're going to fight, we're going to play for each other, and we're going to make teams earn everything against us. We are right where we need to be, and we're ready to attack Patriot League play."
Up Next
Army returns to West Point for the first time in the month of September, also hosting their Patriot League opener inside Gillis Field House against the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds.
The Black Knights were 2-0 against Loyola Maryland last season, with Army winning the past three matchups between the squads.
First serve inside Gillis Field House is set for Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. ET, with the game streaming 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, online at www.goarmywestpoint.com and turn on notifications for volleyball in the Army Athletics app.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
