Oct. 20, 2006
Final Stats
Complete Box Score in PDF Format
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After dropping the opening game of the match, Lafayette rallied to post a four-game victory over the Navy volleyball team Friday night in Macdonough Hall. The Midshipmen (9-14, 2-6 Patriot League) won the first game by a score of 30-24, but the Leopards (14-6, 6-2) won the next three games by scores of 30-19, 30-20, 30-16.
"We started off the match playing very well in game one," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "We displayed a lot of emotion and confidence and executed very well. We struggled a bit at the start of the second game and Lafayette took advantage of that. Once they seized momentum, they didn't let us back in the match."
Navy played very well in the opening game, going on a 4-0 run midway through the frame to take a 22-18 lead. Despite the Leopards scoring back-to-back points to close to within two points, the Mids scored four of the next five points to take a 26-21 lead before closing out the game.
The Leopards responded by jumping out to early leads during each of the next three games to record the victory.
Navy posted a .235 attack percentage in the opening game, but never hit above .140 over the remainder of the match to end with a .086 percentage. Lafayette, meanwhile, hit .029 during the opening frame but hit high enough over the remainder of the contest to tally a .206 percentage in the match.
The Leopards also held a 12-7 advantage in service aces and committed nine service errors to Navy's 13.
Navy's Jessie Sims (So., Etowah, N.C.) led all players with 14 kills, with Rachel Dougherty (Jr., Derwood, Md.) adding 12. The Navy defense was anchored by Meredith Biri's (Fr., San Antonio, Texas) 11 digs.
Veronica Canto-Ponce led Lafayette with 13 kills, while teammate Kari Horn hauled in a match-high 19 digs.
The four-game loss for the Mids follows a three-game loss to the Leopards during the first match of the year in Easton, Pa.
"We are a much better team than we were the first time we played Lafayette," said Schwob. "The effort was there for us tonight. We need to clean some things up on our side of the net and improve our execution, but I can't question how hard we played tonight. We need to bring that same intensity and focus tomorrow, but carry it through the entire match."
Navy will return to the court Saturday when the Mids play host to Lehigh in a 4 p.m. match in Macdonough Hall.
