Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Lehigh Overcomes Power Outage To Sweep Navy 3-0 On Senior Day
11/2/2024 9:07:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball celebrated its seniors on Saturday afternoon for senior day against the Navy Midshipmen. The game started at Leeman-Turner Arena on Lehigh's campus; however, a power outage would force the game to be moved to nearby Moravian University after an hour and a half of stoppage. Despite the shift, the Mountain Hawks pulled off an improbable 3-0 sweep to keep themselves firmly in the Patriot League playoff race.
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The day began without a hitch, as Lehigh's four seniors Makena Smith, Kyleigh Brown, Emily Stewart and Megan Schulte as well as director of social media Paige Moen were honored pregame alongside their families.
Lehigh (14-9, 7-6 PL) and Navy (4-18, 4-9 PL) were competitive to open the first set, as the teams traded points up until the Mountain Hawks gained a 10-6 advantage. The Midshipmen battled back to cut the Lehigh lead to one at 14-13, but the Mountain Hawks then scored four unanswered to extend their lead to five. Lehigh rode this momentum to close out the frame on a 7-3 run to win the first set 25-16.
The second set began well for Navy, who held a 5-4 advantage through the first nine points. However, just as Kamryn Utley and Natalie Luscomb were about to check into the game for Lehigh, the lights inside Grace Hall went out. Lehigh's campus was experiencing a massive power outage, and the match was unable to proceed inside Leeman-Turner Arena. The decision was made the shift the game to Moravian University, and after a lengthy hiatus, the match continued at 6:35 p.m. on the northside of Bethlehem.
Once the match finally resumed, Lehigh found an advantage. With a large senior day crowd who made the trip over on their side, the Mountain Hawks scored four points unanswered to gain an 8-5 lead. Navy would return the favor with a 5-2 run of their own to tie the contest at ten apiece. The Mountain Hawks then conducted a nice run of their own, scoring six consecutive points to lead 16-10. Lehigh continued to keep their foot on the gas, eventually earning a 25-18 set two victory.
Needing a win to stay alive, Navy gained the upper hand to begin set three. The Midshipmen held the advantage early, culminating in a four-point lead at 13-9. Fueled by a fired-up crowd, Lehigh uncorked a 7-1 to gain a two-point advantage at 16-14. The set went back-and-forth until the two teams eventually found themselves tied 24-24. Facing the threat of a fourth set down 26-25, the Mountain Hawks scored three in a row to complete the sweep and earn a hard-fought Patriot League win.
Schulte and sophomore Alysia Fingall led Lehigh offensively with nine kills each. Smith led the team with 21 assists while Utley added 14 of her own. Brown led the way defensively for the Mountain Hawks with 12 digs.
Lehigh continues its quest for a Patriot League tournament berth on Friday, November 8 on the road against Army West Point. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in West Point.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Recap with Coach Keckler after tonight's sweep for senior game & location change to Moravian University. #goLEHIGH
— Lehigh Volleyball (@LehighVBall) November 3, 2024
🧹🧹🧹 pic.twitter.com/dwjfHBYC1M
The day began without a hitch, as Lehigh's four seniors Makena Smith, Kyleigh Brown, Emily Stewart and Megan Schulte as well as director of social media Paige Moen were honored pregame alongside their families.
Lehigh (14-9, 7-6 PL) and Navy (4-18, 4-9 PL) were competitive to open the first set, as the teams traded points up until the Mountain Hawks gained a 10-6 advantage. The Midshipmen battled back to cut the Lehigh lead to one at 14-13, but the Mountain Hawks then scored four unanswered to extend their lead to five. Lehigh rode this momentum to close out the frame on a 7-3 run to win the first set 25-16.
The second set began well for Navy, who held a 5-4 advantage through the first nine points. However, just as Kamryn Utley and Natalie Luscomb were about to check into the game for Lehigh, the lights inside Grace Hall went out. Lehigh's campus was experiencing a massive power outage, and the match was unable to proceed inside Leeman-Turner Arena. The decision was made the shift the game to Moravian University, and after a lengthy hiatus, the match continued at 6:35 p.m. on the northside of Bethlehem.
Once the match finally resumed, Lehigh found an advantage. With a large senior day crowd who made the trip over on their side, the Mountain Hawks scored four points unanswered to gain an 8-5 lead. Navy would return the favor with a 5-2 run of their own to tie the contest at ten apiece. The Mountain Hawks then conducted a nice run of their own, scoring six consecutive points to lead 16-10. Lehigh continued to keep their foot on the gas, eventually earning a 25-18 set two victory.
Needing a win to stay alive, Navy gained the upper hand to begin set three. The Midshipmen held the advantage early, culminating in a four-point lead at 13-9. Fueled by a fired-up crowd, Lehigh uncorked a 7-1 to gain a two-point advantage at 16-14. The set went back-and-forth until the two teams eventually found themselves tied 24-24. Facing the threat of a fourth set down 26-25, the Mountain Hawks scored three in a row to complete the sweep and earn a hard-fought Patriot League win.
Schulte and sophomore Alysia Fingall led Lehigh offensively with nine kills each. Smith led the team with 21 assists while Utley added 14 of her own. Brown led the way defensively for the Mountain Hawks with 12 digs.
Lehigh continues its quest for a Patriot League tournament berth on Friday, November 8 on the road against Army West Point. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in West Point.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
Navy
Lehigh
Kills
32
48
Errors
20
12
Attempts
120
122
Hitting %
.100
.295
Points
44.0
63.0
Assists
26
45
Aces
6
6
Blocks
6
9
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
- Kills-Aces-Blocks
- Assists
- Digs
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballS
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballS
/ VolleyballPlayers Mentioned
DS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballS
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballS
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