Match Information
Navy (10-10 / 6-5) at Holy Cross (7-20 / 1-10)
Friday, Oct. 31 • 6 p.m. / Coach George Blaney '61 Gym • Worcester, Mass.
Series - Navy leads, 49-13 / Patriot League Series - Navy leads, 46-13
Last Match - Navy, 3-1 (Sept. 20, 2025 / Annapolis, Md.)
Live Video - ESPN+

Navy (10-10 / 6-5) at Army (15-5 / 9-2)
Saturday, Nov. 1 • 7 p.m. / Gillis Field House • West Point, N.Y.
Series - Army leads, 56-21 / Patriot League Series - Army leads, 43-16
Last Match - Army, 3-1 (Sept. 19, 2025 / Annapolis, Md.)
Live Video - ESPN+
Army will play host to American Friday before playing Navy Saturday

This Week
•    The Mids head out on the road for its last weekend of back-to-back matches away from home of the season.  Navy will play Friday at Holy Cross (6 p.m.) and Saturday at Army (7 p.m.).
•    ESPN+ will stream the matches, with those links and live statistics found at NavySports.com.

Last Week
•    The Mids improved to 5-1 in their last six matches with a pair of victories in Annapolis.  Navy won a five-set match against Lafayette (28-30, 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 15-6) on Friday and defeated Lehigh in four sets (25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 25-15) on Saturday.

Injury Report
•    Navy is down four starters / key contributors from what was expected at the start of the season.
•    Paige Buzzerio set a career high of 17 kills in Navy's first match of the season, but suffered a knee injury later that same day in the team's second match.
•    Emerson Lionberger played in 19 matches a year ago as freshman, but a shoulder injury curtailed her 2025 season before it started.  She received limited playing time in 23 sets before being shut down.
•    Ellen Gundlach was the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Sept. 2 and was averaging over two kills a set on the year before suffering an ankle injury Sept. 26 at American.  She has not returned to the lineup.
•    Julia Humphrey started every match this year and averaged 1.36 kills and 1.03 blocks per set and was hitting .358 before a hip injury from last year ended her season after the Oct. 11 match against Bucknell. 

Navy vs. Holy Cross
•    Holy Cross enters the match with an overall record of 7-20 and a 1-10 mark in league play.  
•    The Crusaders took Colgate to five sets last Friday in Worcester and lost a three-set match at Army on Sunday.
•    Holy Cross has compiled a 20-27 record in sets decided by five or fewer points, which includes a 12-7 record in sets determined by just two points.  The Crusaders have posted a 5-4 record in "overtime" sets.
•    In league matches, Holy Cross has posted records of 8-10 in sets decided by five or fewer points, 6-3 in sets determined by two points and 2-3 in "overtime" sets.
•    Navy defeated Holy Cross twice last season.  The Mids won a three-set match at Worcester (25-23, 25-16, 25-20) and in Annapolis (25-18, 28-26, 25-20).
•    The Mids posted a four-set victory (25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19) over Holy Cross when the teams met Sept. 20 in Annapolis.

Navy vs. Holy Cross History
All - 49-13 (H - 24-5, R - 20-8, N - 5-0)
Div. 1 - 49-13 (H - 24-5, R - 20-8, N - 5-0)
PL - 46-13 (H - 23-5, R - 20-8, N - 3-0)
PLT - 2-0 (H - 1-0, R - 0-0, N - 1-0)

Army-Navy Five-Set Matches
•    It is not uncommon for an Army-Navy match to last five sets, especially in recent years.

Army-Navy 5-Set Matches Have Been Played in ...
4 of the last 7 matches
6 of the last 13 matches
10 of the last 22 matches
17 of the 59 Patriot League regular season matches
22 of the 77 overall matches in the series

•    Navy has played more five-set Patriot League regular season matches against Army than any other league foe.

Most 5-Set PL Regular Season - Navy vs. Opp.
17    - Army
16 - Bucknell
14    - Lehigh

Army vs. Navy
•    Army heads into a Friday match against American with an overall record of 15-5 and a Patriot League record of 9-2.  The Black Knights have won their last five matches, which includes a reverse sweep of Colgate Friday night. 
•    Army has posted a 26-8 record in sets decided by five or less points, which includes a 10-5 record in sets decided by two points.  The Black Knights also have posted a 7-4 record in "overtime" sets."
•    In league play, Army has compiled records of 12-3 in sets determined by no more than five points, 4-1 in two-point sets and 3-0 in "overtime" sets.
•    Army won both matches against Navy last year, winning a five-set decision at West Point in the Star Match (25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 17-15) and defeating the Mids in three sets in Annapolis (26-24, 25-19, 25-19).
•    The Black Knights defeated the Mids in four sets (23-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-22) on Sept. 19 in Annapolis.
•    Additionally, 11 of the last 45 sets (10 matches starting with the 2021 season) between the teams have been decided by two points and 24 of those 45 sets have been determined by no more than five points.

Navy vs. Army History    
All - 21-56 (H - 13-22, R - 6-32, N - 2-2)
Div. 1 - 19-45 (H - 11-19, R - 6-25, N - 2-1)
PL - 16-43 (H - 11-19, R - 5-24, N - 0-0)
PLT - 3-2 (H - 0-0, R - 1-1, N - 2-1)

Statistical Comparison
•    Army players have totaled 188 career kills in matches played against Navy.  Mackenzie Lynch leads the team with 68 kills while Chloe Murakami has tallied 40.
•    Navy players have totaled 122 career kills in matches played against Army.  However, when you remove the Mids who are injured and won't dress, that number drops to 91.\
•    Ava Toppin leads the Mids with 34 kills.

Up Next
•    Navy will close the home portion of its regular season with matches against Loyola on Sat., Nov. 8 and American on Sun., Nov. 9.  Both matches will start at 2 p.m.
•    Navy will honor its Class of 2026 prior to the start of the match against the Eagles.

Toppin Lately
•    Ava Toppin is averaging 2.80 kills (70 total) and 1.40 blocks per set (35) and hitting .437 (70-11-135) over the last six matches / 25 sets (Oct. 4 at Lafayette through Oct. 25 vs. Lehigh).

First Set Key
•    Navy has compiled a much better match record when it wins the first set than it does when losing the first frame.
•    The Mids have compiled a 53-8 record since 2021 when winning the first set and an 11-54 record when losing the first set.

Five-Set Matches
•    Navy played 20 five-set matches during the 2022 (8), 2023 (7) and 2024 (5) seasons.  This includes 16 such matches against Patriot League foes during the regular season.
•    The Mids have played five five-set matches this year, with three of those being league matches.
•    Navy also played 20 five-set matches during the rally scoring era (since 2001) over the 2005-07 and 2017-19 seasons.
•    The Mids have played 43 five-set matches under Paco Labrador (since 2018).

More Close Sets
•    Navy has played 12 sets this season (6-6 record) in which the final score has been above the 25-point mark in sets one through four and / or 15 points in set five.
•    The Mids played 12 such "overtime" sets all of last season.
•    Navy also has already played 24 sets decided by two points this year (13-9 record) after it played 23 during the 2024 campaign.
•    In league matches, Navy has posted records of 14-17 in sets decided by five or fewer points, 5-7 in two-point sets and 1-4 in "overtime" sets.

Starting Lineups
•    Navy has used 16 different starting lineups (including the libero) in its 20 matches this season.
•    14 players have started at least one match this year.

Double-Doubles
•    Arleigh Hanson registered 10 assist / dig double-doubles during the 2024 season.  That tied her for sixth place for the most by a Mid during a rally scoring season.
•    She then posted double-doubles in each of the three matches at the 2025 season-opening Utah Valley Invite and added another one against Gardner-Webb.
•    Her 14 career assist / dig double-doubles ranks eighth in school history.
•    Fellow setters Isa Boyd and Lainey Feighery also have combined for nine double-doubles this season and 12 in their careers.

Toppin Moving Up Blocks List
•    Ava Toppin is averaging over one block per set this season.  That average has allowed her to improve her standing on Navy's season and career blocks-per-set charts.

Single-Season Blocks Per Set (Since 1995)
1.    1.24    Megan O'Connell, 1997
2.    1.18    Jen Williams, 1996
3.    1.17    Katie Patrick, 2017
4.    1.14    Megan Boyd, 2005
5.    1.13    Katie Patrick, 2018
6.    1.10    Beth McArthur, 2005
7.    1.09    Ava Toppin, 2025
8.    1.04    Kristin Davidson, 2002

Single-Season Blocks Per Set - Rally Scoring Era
1.    1.17    Katie Patrick, 2017
2.    1.14    Megan Boyd, 2005
3.    1.13    Katie Patrick, 2018
4.    1.10    Beth McArthur, 2005
5.    1.09    Ava Toppin, 2025
6.    1.04    Kristin Davidson, 2002

Career Blocks Per Set (Since 1995)
1.    1.00    Katie Patrick, 2015-18
2.    0.96    Megan Boyd, 2003-06
3.    0.94    Maggie Bodman, 2020/21-23
4.    0.91    Ava Toppin, 2022-pres.
5.    0.90    Kristin Davidson, 2001-02
6.    0.89    Jen Williams, 1996-99
7.    0.87    Anna Klemeyer, 2020/21-23

Career Blocks Per Set - Rally Scoring Era
1.    1.00    Katie Patrick, 2015-18
2.    0.96    Megan Boyd, 2003-06
3.    0.94    Kristin Davidson, 2001-02
    0.94    Maggie Bodman, 2020/21-23
5.    0.91    Ava Toppin, 2022-pres.
6.    0.87    Anna Klemeyer, 2020/21-23

Farrah as a Freshman in 2024
•    Farrah Eike earned Second-Team All-Patriot League accolades during as a freshman during the 2024 season when she led the Mids in both kills (168) and kills per set (2.67 kps).
•    She became the fifth freshman to lead Navy in both statistical categories on the Division I program and the third to do so during the rally scoring era.
•    Despite playing in just 47 of the team's 80 matches due to nursing an injury at the start of the 2025 season, she still ranks first on the team with an average of 3.13 kills per set and is second on the team to Ava Toppin's 187 kills and 147 of her own.
•    Eike tallied 26 kills in Navy's Oct. 24 five-set win over Lafayette.  The 26 kills –– on 67 attempts –– left her one shy of tying her personal high of 27.
•    Also, Eike's 26 kills ties her for ninth place at Navy for the most during the rally scoring era, while her 67 attempts ties her for sixth during a rally scoring match and seventh in school history (since 1991).  She also scooped up a career-high 16 digs.