Friday, October 6
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
10-8,2-5Patriot
3
vs
2
Navy
11-4,3-3Patriot
1
2
3
4
5
F
Navy
25
23
23
25
7
2
Lehigh
17
25
25
15
15
3
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Lehigh Shocks Navy In Five-Set Thriller On 'Dig Pink' Night
10/6/2023 11:01:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball returned to action inside Grace Hall at Leeman-Turner Arena after three-straight road matches, welcoming the Navy Midshipmen on 'Dig Pink' night on Friday. The Mountain Hawks took down the Midshipmen in a thrilling five-set victory in front of their home crowd.
The team hosted 'Dig Pink' night in conjunction with the Side-Out Foundation to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Many fans piled into Leeman-Turner Arena, and head coach Alexa Keckler and her team certainly noticed the community support.
"It was great to see the support of so many for our Dig Pink night," said Keckler. "There are so many women, men, and families impacted by breast cancer, mine included, and it is great to bring awareness to the cause."
Lehigh (10-8, 2-5 PL) entered the match below Navy (11-4, 3-3 PL) in the Patriot League standings, and the Midshipmen opened the night on a strong note. The two teams traded points in the beginning of the frame up until Lehigh grabbed a narrow 14-13 lead. From that point on, Navy took control and cruised to the victory by finishing the set on a 12-3 run.
The Mountain Hawks got back on track in sets two and three, narrowly defeating Navy by scores of 25-23 in both frames. Lehigh came up clutch when it needed to, overcoming a 22-17 deficit in set two and a 13-6 deficit in set three. Despite Navy's multiple leads, an array of contributions from various Lehigh players gave the Mountain Hawks the spark they needed and a 2-1 lead in sets.
However, the Midshipmen would not go out easy. They responded with an exclamation point in set four, leading for the entirety of the frame on route to a convincing 25-15 win.
With the momentum seemingly in the hands of the Midshipmen following their set four win, the Mountain Hawks squashed any chance of a Navy comeback in the fifth. Lehigh conducted a 5-0 run to go up 7-3 and kept their foot on the gas the rest of the way, culminating in a match-clinching kill from Megan Schulte. The win snapped a five-match losing streak for Lehigh and marked the team's first win over Navy since 2021.
"This is a great win," said Keckler. "Navy is a disciplined team with a lot of experience and talent. This win will hopefully reinstall the confidence in our team that we can beat anyone in the Patriot League and propel us into the second half of league-play."
Junior Megan Schulte led Lehigh with 13 kills followed by senior Lylah Washington with 11 and junior Emily Stewart with 10. Junior Makena Smith had a great day at the office, recording a .300 hitting percentage while tying her season-high of 44 assists. Junior Kyleigh Brown had a team-best 21 digs while Stewart led the team with six blocks.
The Mountain Hawks return to play on Sunday for a road tilt at Army West Point. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. from West Point, N.Y. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can follow along the action with live stats.
"Keys to Sunday's match will be sticking to the game plan, staying composed and focused, and finishing," said Keckler.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
The team hosted 'Dig Pink' night in conjunction with the Side-Out Foundation to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Many fans piled into Leeman-Turner Arena, and head coach Alexa Keckler and her team certainly noticed the community support.
"It was great to see the support of so many for our Dig Pink night," said Keckler. "There are so many women, men, and families impacted by breast cancer, mine included, and it is great to bring awareness to the cause."
Lehigh (10-8, 2-5 PL) entered the match below Navy (11-4, 3-3 PL) in the Patriot League standings, and the Midshipmen opened the night on a strong note. The two teams traded points in the beginning of the frame up until Lehigh grabbed a narrow 14-13 lead. From that point on, Navy took control and cruised to the victory by finishing the set on a 12-3 run.
The Mountain Hawks got back on track in sets two and three, narrowly defeating Navy by scores of 25-23 in both frames. Lehigh came up clutch when it needed to, overcoming a 22-17 deficit in set two and a 13-6 deficit in set three. Despite Navy's multiple leads, an array of contributions from various Lehigh players gave the Mountain Hawks the spark they needed and a 2-1 lead in sets.
However, the Midshipmen would not go out easy. They responded with an exclamation point in set four, leading for the entirety of the frame on route to a convincing 25-15 win.
With the momentum seemingly in the hands of the Midshipmen following their set four win, the Mountain Hawks squashed any chance of a Navy comeback in the fifth. Lehigh conducted a 5-0 run to go up 7-3 and kept their foot on the gas the rest of the way, culminating in a match-clinching kill from Megan Schulte. The win snapped a five-match losing streak for Lehigh and marked the team's first win over Navy since 2021.
"This is a great win," said Keckler. "Navy is a disciplined team with a lot of experience and talent. This win will hopefully reinstall the confidence in our team that we can beat anyone in the Patriot League and propel us into the second half of league-play."
Junior Megan Schulte led Lehigh with 13 kills followed by senior Lylah Washington with 11 and junior Emily Stewart with 10. Junior Makena Smith had a great day at the office, recording a .300 hitting percentage while tying her season-high of 44 assists. Junior Kyleigh Brown had a team-best 21 digs while Stewart led the team with six blocks.
The Mountain Hawks return to play on Sunday for a road tilt at Army West Point. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. from West Point, N.Y. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can follow along the action with live stats.
"Keys to Sunday's match will be sticking to the game plan, staying composed and focused, and finishing," said Keckler.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Team Stats
Navy
Lehigh
Kills
56
53
Errors
29
26
Attempts
159
160
Hitting %
.170
.169
Points
73.0
68.0
Assists
48
44
Aces
9
4
Blocks
8
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball2025 Lehigh Volleyball Season Preview
Friday, August 29
Lehigh Sports Central: Volleyball
Wednesday, September 25
Season Preview: Volleyball
Wednesday, August 28
Volleyball's Natalie Luscomb and Makena Smith represent USA in 18th Annual Global Challenge
Tuesday, October 31
