ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– A meeting Friday at Army West Point starts a two-match trip to New York State for the Navy volleyball team this weekend.  The Mids (18-7, 10-2) will face the Black Knights (11-14, 6-6) Friday at 7 p.m. in Gillis Field House before playing Saturday at Colgate (13-11, 8-4) in a 3 p.m. match at Cotterell Court in Hamilton.

Multimedia Offerings
Free live video and free live statistics will be available for both matches on NavySports.com.

Friday, 7 p.m. at Army – Free Live Video – Free Live Statistics
Saturday, 3 p.m. at Colgate – Free Live Video – Free Live Statistics

Navy Update
Navy saw its six-match winning streak come to an end with a 25-20, 25-14, 25-23 loss to American last Friday.  The Eagles forced the Mids into 26 attack errors and committed just nine of their own to hold a .367-.119 advantage in hitting percentage.  American held just a 45-40 lead in kills but registered an 11-4 edge in blocks.  Olivia Rozmus (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) led Navy with a career-high 12 kills.

That career best for Rozmus was broken two days later during Navy's 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 victory at Loyola as she tallied 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage.  The Mids again registered more hitting errors than their foe –– 19-17 –– but also held a 47-39 advantage in kills.  Maddi Sgattoni (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) joined Rozmus in double figures with 12 kills, and she also grabbed 10 digs to record a double-double.  Also posting a double-double was Patricia Mattingly (Sr., New Albany, Ind.) with 30 assists and 14 digs to go along with four kills and three aces.

"Last weekend was a great gut-check for us," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.  "We learned what it is going to take to hang with American when they are playing sharp, in-system volleyball.  Loyola is playing 'big ball' and taking some hard swings.  We had to grind and although those matches aren't 'comfortable,' they can teach us a great deal about how to find a way to win."

Army Update
An Army squad without a senior on its roster began the Patriot League season with a 2-5 record –– a span that included two five-set losses –– but has posted a 4-1 record in its last five contests.  This recent stretch includes a five-set win at Lehigh last Saturday.

"Army's starting lineup had a few younger players in it who are now three months into the season and not playing 'young' anymore," said Labrador.

Navy recorded a 25-18, 25-16, 25-23 victory over Army when the teams met October 6 in the Star Match in Annapolis.  The Mids led the Black Knights in kills (40-34), hitting percentage (.223-.107), aces (4-1), digs (57-48) and blocks (9-3).  Individually, Sgattoni led the Navy offense with 10 kills, Mattingly tallied 31 assists, 12 digs and a match-high four blocks, and Emily Solis (Jr., Leesburg, Va.) shared the dig lead with Mattingly with 12 of her own.  Army's Courtney Horace recorded a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs for the Black Knights.

Navy has lost five-set matches to Army on each of its last three trips to West Point.  Army has outscored Navy 328-313 in those three matches –– an average of one point per set –– with 12 of the 15 sets being decided by no more than five points and five of them determined by either two or three points.

Colgate Update
The Raiders started Patriot League play with a 3-3 record but have since recorded wins in five of their most recent six matches and play host to American Friday on a four-match winning streak.

"Colgate is on fire right now," said Labrador.  "They haven't dropped a set in two weeks and their hitting efficiency is .100 points higher in those matches than their season average.  We will have to match their physical play and serve tough."

Navy handed Colgate a 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 loss on October 5 in Annapolis.  Despite recording just three more kills in the match (42-39), the Mids held a .280-.193 advantage over the Raiders in hitting percentage.  Each team totaled 45 digs and six blocks, but the Mids tallied nine aces against three service errors to one ace and five service miscues for the Raiders.

Navy middle hitters Katie Patrick (Sr., Aurora, Colo.) and Sarena Seelbach (Jr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) combined for 14 kills, two attack errors and a .414 attack percentage, with Seelbach adding four aces.  Pacing the Navy offense was Sgattoni with 12 kills, and Sydney Shearn (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) grabbed a match-high 20 digs.  On the other side of the net, Taylor Flaherty totaled 10 kills and a .562 hitting night for the Raiders.

Navy posted a three-set win over Colgate when the teams met in Hamilton during the 2017 season.  It was the first win by the Mids over the Raiders in the venue since 2004.

Patriot League Tournament
The only team this far to clinch a berth into the four-team Patriot League Tournament is American.  The Mids enter the penultimate week of the regular season in second place, two wins in front of Colgate and four ahead of Loyola, Army and Lehigh.  One more Navy win would secure not only a berth into the tournament for the Mids, but also guarantee them a final position of no lower than third place.  Without using any tiebreakers, the Mids need a combination of three wins or Colgate losses to clinch second place in the final standings.

Patriot League Standings (Remaining Schedule; Top 4 make the playoffs)
12-0 American (at Colgate, at Holy Cross, vs. Lehigh, at Army)
10-2 Navy (at Army, at Colgate, at Lafayette, at Holy Cross)
8-4 Colgate (vs. American, vs. Navy, at Lehigh, vs. Loyola)
6-6 Loyola (at Holy Cross at Army, at Bucknell, at Colgate)
6-6 Army (vs. Navy, vs. Loyola, at Bucknell, vs. American)
6-6 Lehigh (vs. Bucknell, at Lafayette, at American, vs. Colgate)
5-7 Holy Cross (vs. Loyola, vs. American, vs. Navy, vs. Lafayette)
1-11 Bucknell (at Lehigh, at Lafayette, vs. Army, vs. Loyola)
0-12 Lafayette (vs. Bucknell, vs. Lehigh, vs. Navy, at Holy Cross)