On Saturday evening in West Point, NY, the Lafayette College volleyball team (10-7 overall, 7-2 Patriot League) avenged the loss to Army during the week prior, bouncing back in four sets (25-22, 19-25, 27-25, 25-22). This win marked the program’s first over the Black Knights since 1995.

The Leopards got off to a quick start, holding their ground against Army’s ambushes. A kill by senior outside hitter Leanna Deegan, who racked in 23 kills and eight digs on the evening, brought the score to 11-6, but the Black Knights proceeded to score enough points to tie the set at 13.

Lafayette made the next run to get a 22-16 advantage before a 5-0 Army run helped the Black Knights get within just one point, with the score at 23-22.

Deegan down the final point of the first set after a service error from Army.

The Black Knights took momentum with a pair of early 4-0 runs in the second set which carried into the third. Army jumped out to a 20-14 lead before the Leopards managed a quick 3-0 outburst which was followed shortly after by a 4-0 run. The third set’s score was a tight 23-22.

“I would say that overall throughout the season, the coaching staff and some of our team leaders have focused less on the score and more on playing our game no matter what,” freshman libero Carson Grace Toomer said. “I think that was one of our main focuses as we were down 22-14. By playing our game we ended up coming back, and it was a great win.”

Sophomore middle blocker Gracie Gibson was a standout on the night, her performance highlighted by the solo rejection to close out the third set. She had eight kills and four blocks in the match.

Other key players of the evening included junior outside hitter Grace Steurer with 24 digs, sophomore libero Katie Weston with 22 digs, sophomore setter Alyssa Vitale with 51 assists and senior outside hitter Grace Tulevech with 10 kills.

Lafayette stole back the momentum to open the fourth set, combatting Army’s 3-0 run with a 5-0 outburst. Senior middle blocker Madi Wahrmnund finally put down the match-clinching kill to split the season series with Army.

The Leopards will be back home on College Hill next weekend for a pair of contests against Holy Cross and Colgate on Saturday, Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 24. Both games are at 4 p.m.

“Going into the match against Colgate and Holy Cross, we’re super excited for the second round of Patriot League play,” freshman outside hitter Abby Nieporte said. “We’re going in fresh, rested and hoping to get revenge against Colgate, since we lost the first time we played them.”