Volleyball Drops Four-Set Opener to West Virginia - Naval Academy Athletics (2024)

• Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 8/30/2024 6:09:00 PM

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A Navy volleyball team which had to replace all six starters from last season fell in four sets to West Virginia, Friday afternoon in the opening match of the season for both teams as part of the Wake Forest Invitational. The Mountaineers (1-0) defeated the Mids (0-1), 25-16, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, at Reynolds Gymnasium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"Credit West Virginia for a really solid level of play all around," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador. "We have some new faces who are getting up to speed with the demands of the game at this level. Bottom line, our passers will come away from this match with a great lesson for what it will take for Navy to have success."

Set One
West Virginia recorded five aces to Navy's one as the Mountaineers built a 15-11 lead at the media timeout. The Mids cleaned up their serve receive and allowed only one more ace the remainder of the set. However, the Navy offense could not get on track and ended the frame hitting (-).042. Defensively, the Mids did a decent job in limiting West Virginia to a .226 hitting percentage.

Set Two
There were 11 ties leading into the media timeout, at which time West Virginia held a 15-14 edge. The Mountaineers scored four of the next five points to take a 19-15 lead. Navy could only close to within as few as two points at 19-17 before the conclusion of the set.

Both offensives displayed improvement from set one. Navy more than doubled its kill total to 11 (from 5) to go along with a .172 hitting percentage and West Virginia recorded marks of 15 kills and a .481 hitting percentage.

Set Three
Navy held a slim lead through the first half of the set, then the Mids went on a 3-0 run to regain a 14-11 advantage. The score would be tied at 16-16 and 17-17 before the Mids opened up a 22-17 cushion. Hannah Hoover dropped in two aces during that run. West Virginia was able to claw back to within one point at 23-22, but back-to-back kills from Lilly Lutz gave the Navy the frame.

The Mids held just an 11-9 lead in kills in the set, but still outhit the Mountaineers, .167-.097.

Set Four
Navy used a 7-0 run to take an 11-7 lead, with the last four points in that surge coming by way of aces from Hoover. The Mountaineers answered with a 5-0 run to take a 12-11 lead. Navy soon took a 13-12 lead, but that was followed by seven-straight points from West Virginia.

The hitting numbers were flipped in the final stanza from set three as West Virginia posted a 10-8 edge in kills but a .231-.037 advantage in hitting percentage.

Inside the Numbers
West Virginia was more efficient offensively than Navy over the course of the nearly two-hour match. The Mountaineers recorded only five more attacks than the Mids (115-110) but had 12 more kills (47-35) and hit significantly higher (.252-.091). West Virginia also led Navy in aces, 18-10, and blocks, 13-6.

Navy senior Lutz did not record a kill in her first three seasons on The Yard, but emerged with a team-high nine this afternoon. She also hit .375, which ranked second to the .444 posted by Grace Burgoyne who added five kills on nine swings and posted three blocks.

"Lilly played the most physical game I have seen her play," said Labrador. "She was really taking some big rips.

"I can't say enough about Grace. She's worked hard all off season and it showed today with her having our best stats line on the team with combining efficient attacking and tremendous blocking."

Hoover ended the match with seven aces to fall one ace shy of tying the school record for the most in a four-set match (8, Ashley Musser at Howard, Sept. 6, 2005) and added a team-best 15 digs.

"Hannah was absolutely dialed in from the service line," said Labrador. "Her veteran play today was huge."

Additionally, Anuhea Hauanio-Lore contributed seven kills and 11 digs. She entered this her junior season with 11 kills and 30 digs in her career.

"Anu found some gaps and edges as the match progressed," said Labrador. "She had to battle against a solid double block from West Virginia throughout the match."

Up Next
Navy will play Hofstra Saturday at 3 p.m. and then will face weekend-host Wake Forest Sunday at 3 p.m.