MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –– Cami Herman (So., Brookfield, Wis.) set a career high for kills and Natalie LaPlaca (Sr., Owings, Md.) set a career high for digs to help lead the Navy (5-4) volleyball team to a 3-0 victory over Eastern Kentucky, (5-7) Friday evening at the West Virginia Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va.  The Mids defeated the Colonels, 25-17, 25-16, 29-27, in the first match of the Mountaineer Invite.
 
"Tonight's match was a wonderful example of senior leadership and a 'step-up' mentality," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.  "I couldn't be prouder of each member of this team and staff.  Some young Mids received their first taste of the college game, and they played sharp, physical volleyball."
 
Using a different lineup today than it had all season, the Mids fell behind, 13-8, in the opening set.  Navy soon trailed, 16-13, but then ran off five-straight points to take an 18-16 lead.  After a Navy service error gave a point to Eastern Kentucky, the Mids promptly closed the set on a 7-0 run to win the first frame.
 
Sofia Hruby (Sr., Austin, Texas) accounted for three kills during that set-closing run, including efforts that accounted for points 23 and 25.
 
Navy fell behind, 3-0, at the start of set number two, but soon held an 11-7 lead.  The Mids separated from the Colonels when a 5-0 run gave them a 19-11 cushion.
 
The Mids again were slow coming out of the gates in set three and didn't take their first lead until a 4-0 run gave them a 12-9 advantage.  Navy maintained a slim lead of 15-11 only to see EKU rally and take a 17-16 lead.  From there, the score would be tied at every point from 17 through 27.
 
Navy served for the match at both 24-23 and 25-24, but EKU's Jovana Bulatovic recorded kills on each point to extend the match.  The Colonels then had set points at 26-25 and 27-26, but a Herman kill erased the former opportunity and an attack error erased the latter chance.  Two more attack errors by Eastern Kentucky closed out the 99-minute match.
 
The Mids led the Colonels in most statistical categories, including kills (45-28), hitting percentage (.178-.033) and digs (65-59).  Both teams registered three aces, Navy had nine service errors to three for EKU and the Colonels held a 7-3 lead in blocks.
 
Herman entered the tournament without a kill in her brief year-plus career.  She recorded five kills and no errors on six attempts in the first set and finished the night with 14 kills and two errors on 24 swings. 
 
LaPlaca had totaled 33 of her 41 digs this season and had tallied a career single-match high of 11 –– which came in a four-set match 10 days ago –– until this evening when she grabbed 15 digs. She also dished out five assists and dropped in one service ace.
 
"One of the keys to this season will be our depth," said Labrador.  "You never know when you will be asked to step onto the court on key moments, and knowing players can enter the match and excel when called upon provides a great deal of confidence to both the coaches and the rest of the team.  Cami needed to play a big role tonight, and she took advantage of the opportunity.  Natalie's been a stabilizer in the back row since the start of the year."
 
Not to be overlooked was the play of Avery Stowell (So., Yorba Linda, Calif.), who posted nine kills and a career-best 13 digs.  Also, setter Paige Miles (Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla.) spread the ball around well as five Mids had at least a dozen attempts.
 
Navy will play a pair of matches Saturday against Duquesne (noon) and West Virginia (7 p.m.) to close out both the invite and the team's non-league schedule.