Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. â€"â€" The Navy volleyball team trailed Akron for a total of just two points in a posting a three-set victory Mids over the Zips Friday night at Alumni Hall in the season opening match for both programs. Navy recorded a 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Akron in a match played as part of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational.

The last time Navy won its season opener in a three-set sweep was 2008.

The Mids outhit the Zips .306-.097 in winning the opening set, then held a .314-.179 advantage in hitting during set two. Navy became a little sloppy late in the third set, but still notched a .219-.135 advantage in hitting percentage for the frame.

"I think the key to our performance was the play of our setters, Patricia Mattingly (Jr., New Albany, Ind.) and Paige Miles (So., Oklahoma City, Okla.)," said Navy head coach Larry Bock, who has led the Mids to a victory in their first match of three of the last four seasons. "They made good decisions with good location and they were able to do that because the passing was pretty darn good. Our setters were able to run a good offense, get a lot of people involved and have balance."

The lone times the Mids trailed the Zips in the 75-minute match came at 5-4 in the first set and 1-0 in set three. The score was tied two times in the first set, three times in the second set and three times in the third set, with the latest tie coming at 9-9 in the second set.

Navy held a 10-8 lead in the first set before building a 21-12 cushion. The Navy advantage in the second set was 14-12 before the Mids rattled off the ensuing seven points to take a 21-12 lead. The Mids then turned an 8-6 lead in the third set into a 15-8 advantage.

Mattingly and Miles helped six Mids tally at least five kills. Leading the offense were Dorothy Murray (Sr., Harbor City, Calif.) and Maddi Sgattoni (Fr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) with nine kills apiece and a total of three attack errors on the 43 combined attempts by the duo.

"Dorothy led us in kills and hit a real solid .318," said Bock. "She was hurt the last part of last fall. It was really fun to see her being so forceful again."

"This is a great start to our season," said Murray. "We've worked so hard all summer and during our training camp.

"Usually we run a 5-1 (one setter in all six rotations) lineup with Patricia starting, but the 6-2 (using two setters for three rotations each) worked really well with her and Paige. They did a nice job of providing balance to our hitters and getting the open people the ball."

The Navy defense also displayed great balance as Olivia Kluger (Sr., Carmel, Ind.), Sgattoni and Sydney Shearn (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) all reached double figures in digs. Kluger led the trio with 13 digs. Additionally for the defense, Katie Patrick (Jr., Aurora, Colo.) recorded five blocks.

"Olivia owned the 'six' (defensive zone on the court)," said Bock. "She made a game-changing dig in set one to her right that was worth four points. She just extended far to the right and we won the point with a Dorothy kill. We won four or five points in a row after that. She was money tonight."

Navy as a team held advantages over Akron in kills (42-33), hitting percentage (.282-.140), digs (46-33) and blocks (9-5).

"The defense and the blocking were reasonable good," said Bock, "but we have a ways to go with defense and blocking, and serving too. But I think we took a step forward tonight over what we had in the scrimmage the other day.

There will be four matches played Saturday as part of the Kristen Dickmann Invitational. Navy will be on the court at 11 a.m. against Saint Francis U. and again at 6 p.m. against Maryland Eastern Shore.

The Hawks recorded a three-set victory over the Red Flash in Friday's first match.