ALBANY, N.Y. -- The Navy volleyball team opened its 2023 campaign by playing a pair of matches Friday at the UAlbany Invitational in Albany, N.Y.  The Mids (1-1) posted a three-set win (25-14, 25-20, 25-20) over Syracuse (0-1) and lost a four-set decision (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21) to UCF (1-0).

The win by Navy over Syracuse marked the second year in a row in which it defeated a team from the current configuration of the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The Mids posted a victory over Notre Dame last season.

UCF was playing its first match as a member of the Big 12 Conference.  The Knights posted a 28-2 record last year and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Navy will play tournament-host UAlbany Saturday at 3 p.m. in the last match of the weekend for the Mids.

Navy 3, Syracuse 0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-20)
"We really looked sharp this morning," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.  "Particularly so in set one where I thought our energy and execution were exceptional.  Syracuse dialed up the service pressure in sets two and three.  I thought we adjusted well and found new ways to generate points.  We showed real poise and maturity in the third set after a slow start to work ourselves back into the set and pulling away for the win."

Set One
Navy took a 10-5 lead despite not recording a kill during that span as Syracuse totaled four attack errors, three service errors and three receiving errors.  Maggie Bodman then posted a kill to make the score 11-5.  The Mids kept expanding their lead to as many as 11 points (22-11) on their way to earning the opening set.

Navy hit .500 in the frame on 13 kills and one attack error, with Jordan Llewellyn accounting for a team-best four kills.

Set Two
The Mids never trailed, but also never held a significant lead.  Navy held several five-point advantages in the early part of the set only to see that cushion dwindle to one point at 19-18.  A kill by Jamie Llewellyn, a kill by Jordan Llewellyn and an ace from Jamie Llewellyn pushed the lead out to 22-18 which was enough for the Mids to take the 2-0 advantage.

Jamie Llewellyn (five) and twin sister Jordan Llewellyn (four) accounted for nine of Navy's 12 kills in the second set.  Syracuse as a team totaled just six kills.

Set Three
Syracuse took early leads of 6-2, 10-6 and 14-8.  Navy battled back and tied the stanza at 16-16.  The score was tied at 18-18 when a Syracuse attack error gave the point (19-18) and the serve to Navy.  Anna Klemeyer doubled the lead with a kill, then another attack error by the Orange stretched the advantage for the Mids to three points at 21-18.  The teams exchanged the ensuing three points to make the score 22-20.  Back-to-back kills from Jordan Llewellyn and Bodman took the Mids to match point (24-20).  Navy converted the first opportunity to win the match on an attack error by the Orange.

Statistical Notes
Navy limited Syracuse to negative hitting percentages in the second (-.043) and third (-.053) sets and to an overall mark of .000 (23 kills, 23 attack errors).  Navy ended the match with a hitting percentage of .272.    The Mids also held statistical leads in kills (37-23), aces (7-4) and blocks (6-2).

Jordan Llewellyn totaled 12 kills and a .323 hitting percentage and Jamie Llewellyn contributed nine kills and two blocks.  Jamie also received a team-high 20 serves, but did not commit a receiving error.  Hannah Hoover scooped up a team-high 10 digs.

UCF 3, Navy 1 (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21)
"Credit to UCF," said Labrador.  "Their offense might be the fastest any Navy team has faced.  It took us two sets to catch up to their speed, but once we made the adjustment we competed extremely well against a high-powered opponent.  Our middles -- Maggie Bodman and Anna Klemeyer -- were amazing tonight.  It's exhausting to block against an offense like UCF, yet they both had the physicality to also carry a huge load of the offense."

Set One
UCF quickly scored the opening five points of the set, but Navy climbed back into the frame and tied the score at 12-12.  The score remained close until a 5-0 run by the Knights gave them a 23-17 advantage.

Set Two
The score was tied five times in the early part of the set, with the last tie coming at 14-14.  UCF scored six of the next seven points to take a 20-15 lead.  A kill by Jordan Llewellyn was followed by a 3-0 run by the Knights.

Set Three
Navy was able to take several slim leads before UCF tied the score at 14-14.  The score would be knotted at 16, 17 and 18, then Klemeyer scored back-to-back points for the Mids with a kill and a tandem block with Doris Nelson to make the score 20-18.  A Navy blocking error winnowed the margin in half, but that was followed by a kill from Jamie Llewellyn and an ace by Jordan Llewellyn to push the Mids out to a 22-19 lead.

It soon was a 24-20 Navy lead, but UCF erased three set points to close to within one point at 24-23.  Bodman secured the win for the Mids with a kill.

Set Four
The Knights took a 15-14 lead before they scored the next two and seven of the next nine points to take a 22-16 lead.

Statistical Notes
Navy finished with just three fewer kills than UCF (50-47), but the Mids committed nine more attack errors than the Knights (28-19).  UCF held just a 5-4 edge in blocks and each team registered 54 digs.  UCF outhit Navy, .235-.133.  

Jamie Llewellyn led Navy with 12 kills as she edged Klemeyer's career-high total of 11 for honors.  Hoover grabbed 17 digs and Averi Miller posted 37 assists and 14 digs.  Klemeyer also had three blocks and hit .588.