BALTIMORE – Army West Point lost the first set and Loyola University Maryland nearly went up two sets to zero, but the Black Knights came back for a four-set Patriot League win on Friday night, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-16.
Caitlin Churney,
Kacy Sekunda and
Morgan Crawford combined for 11 of the Greyhounds kills in the opening set, and swings by Sekunda led to kills for the last two Loyola points in the period to give it a 1-0 lead going into the second.
Army West Point, however, led by as many as five in the second and was ahead by four, 19-15 before Loyola scored four in a row to tie at 19-19 with a Black Knights attack error
Victoria Kasanganay sided out with a Black Knights kill to put them ahead 20-19, but Loyola went for three points in a row – two on Churney kills and one from
Lauren Link – to lead 22-20.
Army West Point came back with the next two and tied the frame, but Churney put away another kill, and it was a 23-22 Loyola lead. Mackenzie Lynch evened the set with a kill for Army West Point, and the Black Knights took a 24-23 lead with a block.
Sekunda sided out for the Greyhounds at 24-24, but a Black Knights kill and a Greyhounds hitting miscue tied the match at 1-1.
Army West Point again took a four-point lead in the third set, 15-11, but Loyola rallied to get within one several times before eventually tying the set at 23-23 after a Black Knights attack error. Army West Point managed to score the next two to win that set, and it then held Loyola to .049 hitting in the fourth for the win.
Sekunda led all players with 16 points and had her eight triple double of the season with 14 assists and 14 digs.
Churney finished with 12 kills and three service aces, and Crawford added 10.
Ally Bauer had her second-straight match with 20 or more digs, setting a career-high with a game-best 29.
Bryanne Soares added a Loyola-career-high 26 digs to go with 28 assists and three service aces.
Loyola will return to the court on Saturday for a 4 p.m. match against Holy Cross.
