Oct. 1, 2008
Final Stats
Box Score in PDF Format
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After winning the fourth set and rallying from a 13-10 deficit in set number five, the Navy volleyball team eventually outlasted Hampton for a 25-19, 20-25, 25-27, 25-13, 19-17 victory over the Lady Pirates, Wednesday night at Macdonough Hall in Annapolis.
Hampton held its late three-point lead in the fifth set until Abbie Merkl (Jr., Upper Marlboro, Md.) knocked down a kill for Navy to cut the margin down to two points and allow Jessie Sims (Sr., Etowah, N.C.) to step to the service line for the Mids. An attack error by Hampton's Adriana Vazquez, followed by a kill from Alexa Gibbs (Sr., Springfield, Ill.) allowed Navy to tie the set at 13-13, then Merkl and Gibbs combined on a block to take the Mids to match point. An attack error by Navy's Barbara Beal (Jr., Patchogue, N.Y.) would tie the score at 14-14 and return the serve back to Hampton, however.
Navy would receive its second match point opportunity when Ebonie Vincent committed a service error for Hampton, but the Lady Pirates erased the chance when Aaryn Harrison tallied a kill to tie the score at 15-15. Harrison then stepped to the service line and sent the ball into play, but the Lady Pirates were whistled for lining up incorrectly during the serve to give Navy a 16-15 advantage. Navy was denied on its third match point chance when Janie Baird (Fr., Ravenel, S.C.) served the ball long for the Mids.
Navy took a 17-16 lead following a kill by Gibbs, then Ese Ighdosa tallied a kill of her own for Hampton to knot the score at 17-17. Aubrey Manes (Jr., Pratt, Kan.) recorded a kill to give Navy an 18-17 lead, and the Mids finally were able to convert on their fifth match point when Mianna Armstrong's attack attempt sailed long.
"We kept fighting and kept fighting and finally found a way to win," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "Our veteran players, especially our seniors, really came through towards the end of the match. We struggled early to find a rhythm, part of which was due to some of the lineups we had on the court, but in the end we made the plays on offense and defense to get us the win.
"We have to be prepared to battle in every match, in every set and for every point. That is the only way we are going to be successful."
Offense was at a premium for both teams in the match, with Navy (10-5) totaling a hitting percentage of .092 and Hampton (2-20) tallying a mark of .047. While Navy's offense may have struggled, its defense played well, especially down the stretch. Navy held Hampton to a .017 hitting percentage in sets four and five, while Navy in turn posted a combined attack percentage of .188 over the last two sets. Over the course of the entire match, the Mids held a 14.0-6.0 advantage over the Lady Pirates in blocks and hauled in 61 digs to 47 for Hampton.
Navy's middle blockers were very effective on the night. Gibbs, who celebrated her 23rd birthday Wednesday, paced all players in the match with 17 kills and a .382 hitting percentage, with Krista Eschelman (Jr., Germantown, Md.) totaling 10 kills, a .259 attack percentage and a match-high 10 blocks.
Harrison totaled 16 kills to lead Hampton's offensive attack.
Navy will return to Patriot League play this weekend when the Mids plays host to Lehigh and Lafayette in the Wesley A. Brown Field House. Friday's match against the Mountain Hawks is slated to begin at 7 p.m., with first serve for Saturday's contest against the Leopards taking place at 4 p.m.
There is no admission charge for any home Navy volleyball match.
