Bucknell University Athletics
Volleyball Loses Semifinal Heartbreaker to Army in Five Sets
11/22/2024 4:57:00 PM | Volleyball
HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Bucknell volleyball's magical season struck midnight on Friday afternoon with a five-set loss (12-25, 25-18, 15-25, 25-23, 11-15) to the fourth-seeded Army Black Knights (16-11) in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals at Colgate's Cotterell Court. The second-seeded Bison (21-5) rallied to force a fifth set but fell behind and never caught up with the red-hot West Point squadron, which won its sixth-straight match and will advance to the championship to face the winner of Lehigh/Colgate.Â
Army started the fifth set up 3-1 but the Bison tied the contest at 4-4. It would be the final tie of the set and season for the Orange & Blue. The Black Knights used a 7-3 run to create a decisive separation. The Bison cut the deficit to two points (13-11) but a Tijana Kostic attack was smothered for a block and a Cameron Lloyd attempt went into the net for the match point. Â
The final attack notwithstanding, Lloyd tied with All-Patriot League First Team member Bri Frazlius with the lead in kills (11). Kostic, a member of the All-Patriot League Second Team, added eight kills while First Team honoree Sidney Shaffer provided seven. The Bison's hitting percentage was .104 and was doubled by Army's .218.Â
The Black Knights had three players with double-digit kills led by Kingsley Wallace's 19.Â
Patriot League Setter of the Year Caleigh O'Connell was hobbled by an injury sustained in the regular-season finale and Laura Caro started in her place. O'Connell did see action recording 17 assists. Caro played more reps and led the team with 22 assists on a .319 percentage.Â
Jordan Hardy ended her historic career collecting 23 digs. She finished with a four-year total of 1,986, just three away from tying for third place in Patriot League history. The two-time Patriot League Libero of the Year departs Bucknell as one of the Bison's finest players.Â
The Black Knights hit an astronomical .548 to the Bison's .160 in a 25-12 verdict in the first set. Bucknell settled in and won the second set 25-18. After not recording a kill in the first set, Frazilus powered the Orange & Blue with four kills. The Bison shined defensively holding Army to a .-026 hitting percentage.
After Army took the third set 25-15, the Bison entered the fourth set needing to win to stay alive and pulled out the narrow 25-23 win. Bucknell dominated early leading 9-5 before Army called timeout. A 7-2 run handed the lead to the Black Knights. A Frazlius kill tied the game at 12-12, and the two teams traded points until the situation was 22-22. An apparent Lloyd kill was successfully challenged by Army and the score flipped to 23-22 West Point. The Bison remained undaunted with a 3-0 set-winning run punctuated by an O'Connell/Shaffer block.Â
The fifth set witnessed three ties but Bucknell never led and the Bison dropped their second-straight heartbreaking fifth-set match.Â
Head coach Tyler Hagstrom, Jordan Hardy, and Caleigh O'Connell received their Barry Goldberg Coach of the Year, Libero of the Year, and Setter of the Year awards before the match.Â
The 2024 team's .808 winning percentage broke the previous record of .788 set by the 1995 squad's 26-7Â mark.Â
Â
Army started the fifth set up 3-1 but the Bison tied the contest at 4-4. It would be the final tie of the set and season for the Orange & Blue. The Black Knights used a 7-3 run to create a decisive separation. The Bison cut the deficit to two points (13-11) but a Tijana Kostic attack was smothered for a block and a Cameron Lloyd attempt went into the net for the match point. Â
The final attack notwithstanding, Lloyd tied with All-Patriot League First Team member Bri Frazlius with the lead in kills (11). Kostic, a member of the All-Patriot League Second Team, added eight kills while First Team honoree Sidney Shaffer provided seven. The Bison's hitting percentage was .104 and was doubled by Army's .218.Â
The Black Knights had three players with double-digit kills led by Kingsley Wallace's 19.Â
Patriot League Setter of the Year Caleigh O'Connell was hobbled by an injury sustained in the regular-season finale and Laura Caro started in her place. O'Connell did see action recording 17 assists. Caro played more reps and led the team with 22 assists on a .319 percentage.Â
Jordan Hardy ended her historic career collecting 23 digs. She finished with a four-year total of 1,986, just three away from tying for third place in Patriot League history. The two-time Patriot League Libero of the Year departs Bucknell as one of the Bison's finest players.Â
The Black Knights hit an astronomical .548 to the Bison's .160 in a 25-12 verdict in the first set. Bucknell settled in and won the second set 25-18. After not recording a kill in the first set, Frazilus powered the Orange & Blue with four kills. The Bison shined defensively holding Army to a .-026 hitting percentage.
After Army took the third set 25-15, the Bison entered the fourth set needing to win to stay alive and pulled out the narrow 25-23 win. Bucknell dominated early leading 9-5 before Army called timeout. A 7-2 run handed the lead to the Black Knights. A Frazlius kill tied the game at 12-12, and the two teams traded points until the situation was 22-22. An apparent Lloyd kill was successfully challenged by Army and the score flipped to 23-22 West Point. The Bison remained undaunted with a 3-0 set-winning run punctuated by an O'Connell/Shaffer block.Â
The fifth set witnessed three ties but Bucknell never led and the Bison dropped their second-straight heartbreaking fifth-set match.Â
Head coach Tyler Hagstrom, Jordan Hardy, and Caleigh O'Connell received their Barry Goldberg Coach of the Year, Libero of the Year, and Setter of the Year awards before the match.Â
The 2024 team's .808 winning percentage broke the previous record of .788 set by the 1995 squad's 26-7Â mark.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
L
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballIn The Herd: Army Game Preview And Peter Grandolfo Feature
Wednesday, April 01
La Salle at Bucknell Baseball Game Highlights 3-31-2026
Wednesday, April 01
Lehigh at Bucknell Baseball Game Three Highlights 3-29-2026
Monday, March 30
Lehigh at Bucknell Baseball Game Two Highlights 3-28-2026
Sunday, March 29