Sept. 25, 2009
Final Stats
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh rallied after dropping the first set and from deficits in sets two and three to post a four-set victory over the Navy volleyball team Friday night at Leeman-Turner Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. The Mountain Hawks posted a 21-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-13 victory over the Mids in the opening match of the Patriot League season for both teams.
"At times we played as well as we have all season, if not better," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "We let sizeable leads get away from us in the second and third sets and you can't do that on the road."
Navy (3-11, 0-1) scored the opening five points of the match before Lehigh (8-7, 1-0) rallied to tie the score at 12-12. The score would be tied six more times in the set until it reached 20-20. A Lehigh service error gave Navy a one-point lead, then an attack error by the Mountain Hawks allowed the Mids to take a 22-20 advantage. After a kill by Lehigh's Mo Reynolds sliced the margin in half, Maida Kalic' (So., Vernon, N.Y.) and Meghan Carpenter (So., Frederick, Md.) combined for a block to boost the Navy advantage back to two points. It soon became three points when Carpenter knocked down a kill, then a service ace by team captain Abbie Merkl (Sr., Upper Marlboro, Md.) ended the first set.
The Mids held several slim leads in the early part of the second set. Navy held advantages of 10-7, 15-11 and 18-14 before the Mountain Hawks knotted things up at 19-19. Lehigh would quickly take a 23-20 lead before the teams exchanged points over the remainder of the set to allow the Mountain Hawks to even the match at one set apiece.
Navy slowly inched its way out to a 16-10 lead in the third set, but once again the Mids were unable to hold onto the lead. Lehigh caught Navy at 17-17 for the first of six ties at the tail end of the set. The score would be tied for what would prove to be the last time at 22-22 when Navy's Carolyn Ewert (Fr., Bakersfield, Calif.) was blocked by the tandem of Emily Flanagan and Chelsea Sheridan. Lehigh promptly took a 24-22 lead on a kill from Angelika Kopacz. The Mids were able to stave off the first set point and pull to within 24-23 when Flanagan was whistled for a bad set, but Kopacz knocked down another kill on the ensuing point to end the set.
The fourth set was tied at 10-10 when the Mountain Hawks went on a 6-0 run to pull away from the Mids.
"Lehigh played very solid defense tonight," said Schwob.
Lehigh tallied 60 kills and a .223 attack percentage in the match, while Navy recorded 44 kills and a .157 hitting percentage. The Mountain Hawks also held defensive statistical advantages in both digs (79-68) and blocks (9.0-6.0).
Carpenter led the Navy offense with 14 kills in the match, with Ewert adding nine kills, seven digs and two aces. Pacing the Navy defense were setter Jenny Rudewicz (Jr., Winter Garden, Fla.) and Holly Berger (So., Claremont, Calif.) with 15 and 13 digs, respectively. Merkl, meanwhile contributed a pair of aces, 12 digs and two blocks.
Lehigh's Kopacz led all players in the match with 18 kills.
Navy will remain in the Lehigh Valley Friday night for a match Saturday afternoon at Lafayette (12 Noon). The Leopards were swept by American earlier tonight in their league-opening match.
