Army Volleyball Advances to Patriot League Championship with Thrilling Five-Set Victory Over Colgate

Black Knights End Raiders’ Four-Year Title Reign in Epic Semifinal Showdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Army West Point volleyball is one win away from the NCAA Tournament.

For the second consecutive season, the Black Knights will play for a championship berth after defeating No. 2 seed Colgate 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 15-11 in a five-set thriller Friday night at Bender Arena in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.

Army (19-8) built a commanding 2-0 lead before Colgate (18-10) clawed back to force a decisive fifth set. But the Black Knights seized control early in the final frame and never relinquished the lead, snapping the Raiders’ streak of four consecutive tournament championships and exacting revenge for last season’s championship loss.

Lynch Delivers Career Performance

Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Lynch was unstoppable, recording a career-high 25 kills on .241 hitting to lead Army’s offensive attack. The performance marked the fourth time this season Lynch has recorded at least 20 kills in a match, surpassing her previous career high of 24 against Navy on Nov. 1.

Lynch was especially dominant in the decisive fifth set, recording six kills on 10 swings. With Army clinging to an 11-10 lead, Lynch delivered back-to-back kills to push the advantage to 13-10, effectively sealing Colgate’s fate.

Michelle Parker and Chloe Murakami also reached double figures with 14 and 13 kills, respectively. Parker was exceptionally efficient, hitting .478 and recording a career-high in kills—just the second time in her career she’s reached double digits.

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A Tale of Two Halves

Army exploded out of the gates, jumping to a 7-3 lead in the opening set behind timely hitting and stout defense. Colgate rallied to take an 18-14 advantage, but the Black Knights responded with a devastating 7-0 run—fueled by three blocks, two kills, and two aces—to reclaim a 21-18 lead. A kill by Corrine Blackburn sealed the 25-22 first-set victory.

The second set followed a similar script. Army never trailed, building a 15-13 lead at the media timeout. The teams traded points until 20-20, when Lynch took over with three kills down the stretch. Parker finished the set with a kill, giving Army a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the break.

But Colgate—familiar with comebacks after Army reversed a 2-0 deficit against them earlier this season—refused to go quietly.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle, tied 15-15 at the midpoint. Army called timeout down 23-22, and Lynch tied it with a kill. But Colgate closed with a kill and a block to cut Army’s lead to 2-1.

The fourth set belonged to the Raiders. Colgate caught fire, jumping ahead 10-5 and maintaining control throughout. The defending champions hit .333 while holding Army to just .027, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.

Fifth-Set Dominance

Army wasted no time asserting itself in the final frame. The Black Knights jumped ahead 4-2 and never looked back.

Lynch was an absolute force, recording six kills on 10 swings in the set. Murakami added a kill to reach set point, and the Black Knights sealed the victory on a Colgate service error, sending the Army bench into a frenzy.

Balanced Attack, Defensive Prowess

Juliette Myrick orchestrated the offense with 34 assists, while Naomi Chinchar added 22. Army finished the match hitting .201 with 67 kills on 169 attempts.

Defensively, the Black Knights limited Colgate to .212 hitting and recorded 9.0 team blocks, with Parker leading the way with four. Nicole Stroud anchored the back row with 17 digs, while Myrick (14) and Murakami (11) also reached double digits.

Colgate was led by Milan Bayless (26 kills) and Tiana Owens (16 kills), but the Raiders’ late surge fell short.

Championship Bound

Army will face top-seeded American in the Patriot League Championship on Sunday at 3 p.m. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Black Knights are one victory away from making program history and punching their ticket to the national stage.

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Go Army! Beat American! ⚔️🏐