Fifth years force fifth set, but Mountain Hawks can't overcome Army

Saturday, September 18

West Point, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Lehigh University

3-9,0-2Patriot

Army West Point

8-3,2-0Patriot

Lehigh

Army West Point

Photo by: Hannahally Photography

Fifth years force fifth set, but Mountain Hawks can't overcome Army

9/18/2021 10:15:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Trailing 0-2 heading into the third set, the Lehigh volleyball team staged a valiant comeback to force a decisive fifth set against Army West Point, but it wasn't enough as the Mountain Hawks (3-9, 0-2 PL) fell for the second consecutive match to open Patriot League play Saturday night at Gillis Field House. It was yet another dominant combined effort from Sabrina Lancaster (17 kills) and Hannah Wright (15), but Lehigh fell 15-9 in the final set.

Army West Point had a variety of runs in the first set to pull ahead, but a Lehigh push late made things interesting, cutting the Black Knights lead to 20-19. Army won five of the next six points to pull away with the 25-20 win.

Lehigh led the second set 12-9 following a kill from Wright and a block by Alina Smith and Lylah Washington, but it was followed up by four straight points from the Black Knights, handing Army a 13-12 lead.

With Army leading by as many as five points late in the set, the Mountain Hawks pushed the limit, scoring four of five to make it 24-23 after a Washington kill, but Paige Fixemer put the ball home as Army took a 2-0 lead at 25-23.

After Lehigh didn't lost the lead once in the third set to come away with the 25-21 victory to stay alive, the Mountain Hawks opened the fourth set on an 8-3 run. Army fought back with four straight points to trail 8-7, and then went on a 6-1 push to lead 15-12. Trailing 21-19, Lehigh battled to tie the set at 22-22, eventually taking the final three points to win 25-23 and force the decisive fifth set.

It was all Army in the fifth, starting it out with a 13-4 run and while Lehigh was able to cut the deficit to five points at 14-9 following four straight, Cate Buckingham put it away to give the Black Knights the 15-9 victory and five-set win.

Lancaster and Wright combined for 32 of Lehigh's 54 kills, while Emily Stewart added eight and Washington had five with 10 digs. Freshman Makena Smith finished with 46 assists and 19 digs, while Ally Thaw had a team-best 20 digs. Alina Smith stepped up in a big way with 10 total blocks (eight assists, two solo).

The Mountain Hawks out-blocked Army, 14-11 and out-dug the Black Knights, 84-79.

Attempting to snap a two-match losing streak, Lehigh hosts archrival Lafayette next Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. match Sunday vs. Bucknell at Grace Hall. The matchup with the Leopards will be streamed on ESPN+.

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