BALTIMORE – The U.S. Naval Academy scored just seven more points than host Loyola University Maryland on Sunday, but the Midshipmen had enough in each set to post a three-set Patriot League win, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 over the Greyhounds.
 
Prior to the match, the Greyhounds celebrated Senior Day, honors their three members of the Class of 2019: Alisah Cash, Haley Puddy and Molly Werts.
 
Navy (18-7 overall, 10-2 Patriot League) trailed 13-10 in the early part of the first set, and a Puddy kill later made it 16-13 Greyhounds (11-14, 6-6). The Midshipmen, however scored the next three points with Kelsey Kingsland and Maddi Sgattoni tallying kills around a block, knotting the set at 16-16.
 
Cash put away one of her five kills to sideout for the Greyhounds to give them a 17-16 lead, but Navy scored the next two to take a lead on an Olivia Rozmus kill. Loyola would tie the set five times thereafter, and a Puddy kill put it on top, 23-22, forcing a Navy timeout.
 
An attack error by the Greyhounds sided out for the Midshipmen, and after another hitting miscue by Loyola, Katie Patrick put away a kill to win the set for Navy.
 
Loyola had a 20-18 lead in the second set one of Ann Ernst's nine kills, but Navy reeled off five in a row to go up 23-20 on a Patricia Mattingly ace.
 
Ernst and Puddy had back-to-back kills to make it 23-22, and Ernst then served an ace of her own to tie the set at 23-23, but Kingsland and Rozmus had kills for the Midshipmen to end the frame, staking them to a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Navy went up by five early in the third set and never trailed before closing out the match.
 
Rozmus had a match-high 14 kills and hit .500 for the Midshipmen, while Sgattoni tallied 12 kills.
 
Abby Hamilton led Loyola with 11 kills, while Ernst added nine and Puddy had eight. Katie Forsythe led all players with 19 digs, while Molly Werts had 15 to go with 11 assists. Alaina Acchione tallied 18 assists, as well. Cash added five blocks to her five kills.
 
The match was the final home game for the Greyhounds. They set out on a four-match road trip, beginning on Friday, November 2, at College of the Holy Cross.