Nov. 11, 2006

Final Stats

Complete Box Score in PDF Format

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy volleyball team closed out its 2006 season by dropping a hard-fought 28-30, 30-25, 31-29, 30-26 decision to Bucknell, Saturday night in Macdonough Hall. The score was tied 40 times during the over two-hour contest.

"We battled so hard tonight," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "It was one of our best sideout matches of the year, but you have to do more than just sideout against one of the top teams in the league as Bucknell is. They were able to convert points and win the long rallies at crucial times in the match."

The opening game was a sign of how the rest of the match would go, with neither team able to open up any kind of significant lead on the other. With the score knotted at 28-28, Jessie Sims (So., Etowah, N.C.) tallied a kill to give Navy (11-20, 3-11 Patriot League) a one-point lead, then the Mids closed out the game on a hitting error from Bucknell's Sarah Groman.

Game two was tied at 13-13 when Bucknell (19-11, 10-4 Patriot League) went on a small run to take a 16-13 lead, then the Bison opened up a 27-21 advantage. Navy was able to close to within four points at both 27-23 and 28-24, but could climb no closer in losing the game.

The Bison started game three quickly, taking a 7-3 lead early in the frame, but Navy rallied and soon tied the score at 9-9. Both teams remained within a few points of the other over the remainder of the game. Despite two late service errors by the Mids, Navy tied the score at 29-29 when the Bucknell bench received with a red card from the referee. The Bison would answer by taking a 30-29 lead on a kill from Jenna Henderson, following which came one of the longest, and most important rallies of the night. Players from both teams made strong attacks and even stronger defensive plays to keep the ball alive before a downball attempt from Navy's Kim Koss (Sr., Clarence Center, N.Y.) sailed long to give the Bison the 31-29 victory.

Navy had one of its best runs of the match midway through game four, scoring six-straight points to take a 22-16 lead. The Bison climbed back into the game and soon took a 25-24 lead before Navy recorded another sideout to knot the score for the 15th time in the game. Bucknell quickly scored the next three points to take a 28-25 lead then, following a kill from Navy's Rachel Dougherty (Jr., Derwood, Md.), ended the match on a pair of blocks.

"The girls did all we asked of them this weekend by being focused and playing with passion and emotion," said Schwob. "The end result was nowhere near reflected of how hard we played Friday (in a five-game loss to Colgate) and tonight. Our senior class of Megan Boyd (Richmond, Va.), Mariellen Carnes (Virginia Beach, Va.) Kim Koss and Karla Lazenby (Richmond, Va.) really gave us a lift this weekend. They did all they could to try and help us end the season and their careers with a win."

The service line was a big difference in the match as the Bison tallied 10 aces to just four service errors, while Navy finished with five aces and 12 service errors.

Five Mids knocked down 10 or more kills on the night, with Nikki England (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) finishing with 19 kills and a .386 attack percentage. She was joined in double figures by Sims with 14 kills, and Alexa Gibbs (So., Springfield, Ill.), Boyd and Dougherty all with 10 kills apiece.

Bucknell's offense was led by 20 kills from Jenna Henderson.