Volleyball Battles the Service Academies This Weekend

Setting the Scene, Part I
Who: Bucknell (7-8, 4-2 Patriot League) at Army (10-5, 4-2 Patriot League)
When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
Where: Gillis Fieldhouse - West Point, N.Y.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: goarmywestpoint.com

Setting the Scene, Part II
Who: Bucknell (7-8, 4-2 Patriot League) vs. Navy (6-9, 2-4 Patriot League)
When: Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.
Where: Wesley A. Brown Field House - Annapolis, Md.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: navysports.com

About Bucknell

Bucknell hits the dusty trail to battle the service academics this weekend, facing Army on Friday and dueling Navy on Saturday. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+. Live Stats links for both matches can be found on the Bucknell Volleyball schedule page. Live updates will be tweeted on Bucknell Volleyball's X account.
The Bison were swept by American on Friday night but rebounded the next day to sweep Loyola (Md.) and move to 4-2 in conference action tying with Army for third place.
Star setter Caleigh O'Connell ranks second in the loop with 9.17 assists per set.
Cameron Lloyd sits fifth in the conference with 4.28 digs per set.
The Bison were selected to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll behind reigning champion Colgate and Army. Bucknell lost 3-2 in the Patriot League semifinals last year to the Black Knights of the Hudson.
Caleigh O'Connell returns for her senior season after winning 2024 Patriot League Setter of the Year. O'Connell picked up the 2025 preseason edition of the honor and along with Sidney Shaffer landed on the All-Patriot League Preseason team.
Tijana Kostic has one final year with the Bison after notching Second Team honors in 2024.
The program lost two-time Patriot League Libero of the Year Jordan Hardy to graduation. She was the first Bison to win the award and earn AVCA Honorable Mention honors. Hardy graduated as the program's all-time leader in digs with 1986.
Five freshmen join the Bison for 2025: Avery Bryan, Stephanie Eroh, Brynna Guy, Peyton McGee, and Klea Tarja. Four of the five players have seen action for Bucknell.
Bucknell has a new head coach at the helm. Tyler Hagstrom, who rebuilt the program, left in July for the head position at Penn. Assistant coach Jeremy Young was elevated to interim head coach. Young enters his fifth year overall in Lewisburg.

Scouting Army/Series History

The Black Knights went 16-12 overall and 10-6 in league contests in 2024. The team, full of underclassmen, started slow but caught fire at the end of the year storming into the conference tournament as the third seed. Army upset Bucknell in the semifinals before falling in an epic five-set match to Colgate in the championship game.
Army sits at 10-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Their two league losses were to American and Colgate - the conference front runners.
The Bison and Black Knights shared one non-conference foe in Binghamton. Army defeated the foe while Bucknell fell in five sets.
Army was picked to finish second in the nine-team Patriot League.
Outside hitter Mackenzie Lynch was the only Black Knight to rate on the Preseason All-PL Team.
Army had two main cannons with Chloe Murakami (3.41) and Lynch (3.40) ranking fourth and fifth in the conference in kills per set.
Alma Kovaci Lee enters her 19th season as the head Black Knight and owns a 341-183 record.
Army leads the all-time series 48-16 but the teams have split the last four meetings.

Scouting Navy/Series History

Navy went 7-18 overall and 7-9 in PL play last year and missed the conference tournament.
The Mids scaled back their non-conference schedule this year and currently sit at 6-9 overall and 2-4 in PL play. They defeated Holy Cross and Lafayette for their conference triumphs.
Bucknell and Navy did not have any overlap in non-conference foes.
Navy was slotted to finish seventh in the conference and did not place a player on the Preseason All-PL squad.
Julia Humphrey is one of the league's most proficient attackers, ranking third in hitting percentage (.350).
Paco Labrador enters his eighth season as the head coach of Navy with a solid 104-84 overall record.
Navy owns the all-time record 40-26 but the Bison went 2-0 against the Midshipmen last year for the seventh time in program history.

Up Next

Bucknell hosts Navy (Oct. 18) next weekend.

Volleyball Battles the Service Academies This Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

Volleyball Battles the Service Academies This Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Avery Bryan

Stephanie Eroh

Brynna Guy

Jordan Hardy

Tijana Kostic

Cameron Lloyd

Peyton McGee

Caleigh O'Connell

Sidney Shaffer

Klea Tarja

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