Lehigh University
Navy
Lehigh bounces back to defeat Navy 3-2
10/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After falling behind 2-1 against Navy Saturday afternoon, the Lehigh volleyball team was able to rally to win the match in five sets. The win ended a five-match losing streak for the Mountain Hawks and gave them their first Patriot League road victory. The win gave the Mountain Hawks a sweep of the season series over Navy. Lehigh is now 11-13 on the season and 4-5 in the Patriot League.
“We knew the importance of this one and the loss last night still stings, but we knew we had to turn it around today,” head coach Jenny Maurer said. “It was a fun match and I am really proud of how we stayed in there and finished.”
The Midshipmen were able to take the first set 25-22, but Lehigh answered right back taking the second by the same score.
Freshman Margy Acton got the Mountain Hawks out to a 4-0 lead in the third set, but Navy was able to rally back and take a 14-13 lead and they never looked back winning the set 25-19.
In the fourth set, sophomore Emma Melendez got Lehigh out to another 4-0 lead and this time the Brown and White wouldn’t lose it, winning 25-20.
Heading into the fifth set the Mountain Hawks had seized control of the match and Lehigh showed it with its play closing out the match 15-8 for a 3-2 win.
“I was really proud of the way we battled today,” Maurer said. “We came out with a lot of intensity after losing the first set and were able to take the second. We hit another lull in the third, but we answered right back in the fourth set and used the momentum we built to win the match.”
Sophomore Chelsea Sheridan had another big match for the Mountain Hawks setting a career-high in kills with 17. Classmate Angelika Kopacz also added to the attack with 16 kills.
Overall Maurer was very pleased with the complete team effort the Mountain Hawks gave today.
“Everybody had an important role for us today,” she said. “Chelsea was unstoppable and all of our hitters really gave the setters multiple options today. You can look at Hannah Bennett (three kills) and Emily Flanagan (two kills) and even though they didn’t have high numbers they contributed at key moments in the match.”
Lehigh is going to look to keep the momentum it built today and carry it over to next week.
“The intensity is back,” Maurer said. “Our speed and jumping are picking up and we have to carry that through to next weekend. There is no holding back and we have to come out and take care of the ball."
The Mountain Hawks will take on their archrival Lafayette on the road next Friday night at 7 p.m.
