LEWISBURG, Pa. –– On a night where both defenses had big nights, Maddi Sgattoni (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted 21 kills to help the Navy volleyball team defeat Bucknell in four sets Friday night at Davis Gym in Lewisburg, Pa.  The Mids (9-5, 1-0) held off the Bison (5-7, 0-1), 25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 25-14, in the Patriot League opener for both teams.
 
"Bucknell played with a ton of heart," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.  "They made some really special plays happen all night.  It was a fun match to be part of."
 
Navy used a 6-1 run midway through the first set to take a 17-12 advantage and build a small cushion.  Sgattoni totaled six kills and just one attack error on 10 swings in leading the Mids to the first set victory.
 
Neither team was able to take any kind of comfortable lead in the second set.  Navy did take a 22-19 advantage late only to see Bucknell tie the score at 22.  The teams traded sideouts to keep the score tied, then the Bison scored back-to-back points on a block and a kill to even the match at one set each.
 
Defense dominated the second set as Navy hit .078 and Bucknell recorded a .071 hitting mark.  That would continue in set three as the Mids hit .083 and limited the Bison to a .039 performance.  Part of the success behind Navy's defensive effort was Emily Solis (Jr., Leesburg, Va.) grabbing 10 digs in the third set.  The score would be tied 12 times in the third stanza, but there was just one lead change and that came when the Mids used a 4-0 run to take an 18-15 advantage.  There was one more tie at 18-18, but Navy answered with the next three points take a 21-18 lead.  Bucknell was able to close to within one point at 21-20, which led to a Labrador timeout.  The Mids came out of the break with a kill by Sarena Seelbach (Jr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) and back-to-back attack errors from Bucknell's Mimi Richards to take a 24-20 lead.  A block by 5-8 setter Patricia Mattingly (Sr., New Albany, Ind.) accounted for the final point of the frame. 
 
Navy's hitting numbers improved dramatically in set four –– .233 –– while its defense remained stout –– .050 by the Bison.  The Mids broke open the frame somewhat early as they turned a 7-5 deficit into a 16-8 advantage.  Darby Minton (Sr., Chino Hills, Calif.) dropped in a pair of aces very early in the run, then both Mattingly and Sgattoni –– hitting from the back row as she was serving –– recorded a pair of kills late in the scoring spree.  Sgattoni's hitting numbers in the fourth set (6-1-10) were exactly the same as they were in the first set.
 
"I'm happy with our poise and patience," said Labrador.  "We stayed sharp and kept evolving as the match progressed.  Our serving in set four really helped push us through to the win."
 
The Mids totaled 53 kills and a .157 attack percentage on the night and limited the Bison to 40 kills and a .091 hitting effort.  Navy also led Bucknell in aces (6-1) and blocks (13-9) and the Bison led the Mids in digs (68-64).
 
Sgattoni's 21 kills surpassed her career high of 19 set two weeks ago tonight in a five-set match against Tulane.  She totaled 62 swings this evening, which ties her for the fourth-most attempts by a Mid in a four-set match in school history.  She also tied a career high with four blocks.
 
Middle hitter Seelbach led the Navy defense with seven blocks and she added an equal number of kills.  Fellow middle Katie Patrick (Sr., Aurora, Colo.) contributed 11 kills, a .391 hitting percentage and five blocks, and outside hitter Kelsey Kingsland (Sr., Blackwell, Mo.) added seven kills.
 
Mattingly dished out 46 assists, snared seven digs and tallied a career-high five blocks.
 
Solis and Sydney Shearn (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) would total more than half of Navy's 64 digs on the night.  Solis ended the nearly two-hour match with 22 digs and Shearn grabbed 11.  Just missing double figures in digs was Minton with nine.  Minton would also finish the match with half of Navy's six aces.
 
Navy will remain in the Keystone State overnight as the Mids will play at Lehigh in a 4 p.m. match.