Bucknell University
4-6,0-1Patriot
Army
7-3,1-0Patriot
Volleyball Battles in Loss to Army West Point Friday Evening
9/17/2021 9:16:00 PM | Volleyball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Bucknell volleyball held leads in all three sets while battling it out with Army West Point Friday evening, but the defending Patriot League Champions pulled out the 3-0 win in the opening night of league play. With the loss, Bucknell moved to 4-6 (0-1 PL) on the season, while Army improved to 7-3 (1-0 PL).
Sophomores Catherine Jamison and Libby Nieporte both reached doubled figures in kills with 10 apiece, and rookie libero Jordan Hardy recorded a match-high 17 digs. Sophomore Sarah Ramirez also led all players with 31 assists. Army maintained a .203 hitting percentage for the match while Bucknell posted a .157.
Bucknell held a seven-point advantage early in the first set, but the Black Knights proved no lead was safe as they came storming back to win a 28-26 thriller in the opening frame. The Bison led 14-7 before Army went on a 7-0 run to tie the set at 14-all. Refusing to give up the lead, the Bison held the edge until it was set point at 26-25. A 3-0 Army run put an end to the set after Bucknell hit .234 in the first.
After Army pulled out in front in the second, Bucknell used a 4-1 run to take a 6-5 lead. Bucknell controlled the lead until an 8-1 Army run gave the Black Knights their largest separation of the match to that point at 13-8. They finished the set on a 4-0 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set was back-and-forth throughout as the two teams traded leads. Trailing 8-4, the Bison went on a 5-0 run that gave them the lead and forced an Army timeout. Bucknell also held leads at 15-13 and 19-18. The Black Knights ended the third on a 7-2 run and sealed their fourth sweep of the season.
Other notable performances by the Bison included four kills, an ace, a block assist and a block solo for rookie Jen Sivak. She also posted a .333 hitting percentage in the effort. Junior Lisa Zoch finished third on the roster with eight kills and nine digs, and Ramirez earned a double-double by adding 12 digs to her 31 assists.
Army's Savannah Bray led all players with 11 kills, and outside hitter Cate Buckingham added 10 kills, 11 digs and a .333 hitting percentage. The Black Knights finished with nine total blocks.
Bucknell has a chance to even its league record when it visits Holy Cross on Saturday. The Crusaders enter the matchup with a 1-10 record, but the series with the Bison is even at 3-3 over the last four years. The match is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
