Navy Volleyball Sweeps Holy Cross, Completes Perfect Patriot League Opening WeekendMidsb

Navy volleyball could hardly have asked for a better start to Patriot League play.

Less than 24 hours after completing a dramatic five-set comeback at Colgate, the Midshipmen produced a much more controlled performance Saturday afternoon, sweeping Holy Cross 25-16, 25-20, 25-16 at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The victory improved Navy to 4-6 overall and, more importantly, 2-0 in the Patriot League.

Navy never trailed in the first or third sets and overcame several small deficits early in the second. The Midshipmen finished with a .302 hitting percentage, held Holy Cross to .188 and controlled several areas of the match with 39 kills, eight service aces and 11 total blocks.

The weekend also represented a significant change in direction for Navy. After navigating a challenging nonconference schedule and beginning the season 2-6, the Midshipmen went on the road and defeated Colgate and Holy Cross on consecutive days to move immediately to the top portion of the conference standings.

Navy sets the tone immediately

Head coach Paco Labrador pointed to Navy’s opening-set performance as one of the keys to the match, and the statistics support his assessment.

Navy attacked at a blistering .423 percentage in the first set, recording 15 kills with only four errors on 26 attempts. Holy Cross managed 11 kills but committed six attacking errors and hit just .179.

The Midshipmen established an early advantage and never allowed the Crusaders to get in front. That was particularly important one day after Navy expended considerable energy in a 126-minute, five-set battle against Colgate.

Instead of showing signs of fatigue, Navy immediately dictated the match.

The Midshipmen won the opening set 25-16, creating an entirely different situation from Friday’s match in Hamilton. Against Colgate, Navy lost the first two sets 25-15 and 25-17 before mounting a reverse sweep. Against Holy Cross, Navy was the team forcing its opponent to respond from the beginning.

That difference allowed Navy to play from ahead throughout most of Saturday afternoon.

Holy Cross challenges Navy in second set

The second set provided Holy Cross with its best opportunity to change the match.

The Crusaders held five separate two-point leads during the early portion of the frame. Navy finally pulled even at 6-6, which was the first tie of the set. From there, the Midshipmen began taking control.

Both offenses were efficient during the second set. Navy totaled 16 kills with only two errors on 40 swings for a .350 hitting percentage. Holy Cross was also productive, registering 17 kills against five errors and hitting .267.

That made Navy’s 25-20 victory particularly important.

Holy Cross produced its best offensive set of the afternoon and actually recorded one more kill than Navy, yet the Midshipmen still found enough ways to score and defend to build a two-set advantage.

It was another example of the balanced volleyball Navy displayed throughout the weekend.

Midshipmen close it out

Navy left little doubt in the third.

Just as they had in the opening frame, the Midshipmen never trailed. Holy Cross struggled to generate consistent offense, finishing the set with eight kills and six errors on 28 attacks for a .071 hitting percentage.

Navy was not nearly as efficient offensively as it had been during the first two sets, recording eight kills and four errors for a .133 percentage. It did not matter.

The Midshipmen’s defense, serving and blocking prevented Holy Cross from building any momentum.

Navy finished the match with eight service aces while allowing only one. The Midshipmen also recorded 11 total blocks compared with nine for Holy Cross and held a 42-37 advantage in digs.

Navy completed the sweep with another 25-16 victory.

The entire match lasted just 79 minutes.

Considering what Navy had endured the previous afternoon, finishing Holy Cross in three sets was an especially valuable result.

Eike completes outstanding weekend

Farrah Eike continued to establish herself as one of Navy’s most important offensive weapons.

After exploding for a match-high 24 kills and 13 digs against Colgate, Eike followed with 11 kills and nine digs against Holy Cross. She nearly recorded double-doubles on consecutive days and finished the two-match road trip with 35 kills and 22 digs.

Her performance was subsequently recognized by the Patriot League.

On Tuesday, Eike was named Patriot League Volleyball Player of the Week. She hit .327 against Colgate and was particularly dominant during Navy’s comeback, recording 18 kills and hitting .533 over the final three sets. She then helped Navy finish the weekend with Saturday’s sweep.

That type of production gives Navy a dependable attacker as conference play begins.

It also continued a strong stretch for Eike. She was one of three Midshipmen who combined for 36 kills in Navy’s four-set victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sept. 12, a win that closed Navy’s nonconference schedule.

Chambers anchors Navy’s defense

Eike was not the only Midshipman recognized by the Patriot League following the road trip.

Amara Chambers was selected as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after helping Navy win both matches.

That recognition reflects how important Navy’s floor defense became during the weekend.

The Midshipmen totaled 70 digs during their five-set victory over Colgate and another 42 against Holy Cross. Navy also limited the Crusaders to a .188 hitting percentage Saturday after Colgate finished Friday’s match at .209.

Navy’s ability to turn defensive plays into offensive opportunities was particularly important against Holy Cross. The Crusaders recorded 36 kills, only three fewer than Navy, but committed 17 attack errors compared with 10 for the Midshipmen.

That efficiency gap helped Navy steadily create separation.

A complete statistical performance

Navy’s .302 hitting percentage was one of the clearest indicators of how well the Midshipmen executed.

The performance represented a significant improvement from several earlier matches. Navy hit .042 in a loss at Western Michigan, .075 against Stony Brook and .199 across its first 10 matches overall. Against Holy Cross, Navy was more than 100 points above its season hitting percentage.

The Midshipmen recorded 39 kills against only 10 attack errors on 96 attempts.

Holy Cross totaled 36 kills but needed 101 attempts and committed 17 errors. Navy also produced 35 assists, eight aces and 42 digs.

Perhaps most impressive was Navy’s work at the service line.

The Midshipmen recorded eight aces while committing only four service errors. Holy Cross managed one ace with seven errors.

Those extra points and disrupted possessions added up quickly in a three-set match.

Navy reverses its early-season momentum

Navy’s overall record still sits below .500 at 4-6, but the Midshipmen have won three consecutive matches dating to their nonconference finale against Maryland Eastern Shore.

Navy defeated UMES in four sets, 20-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17, before beginning Patriot League play.

The next victory was dramatically different.

Colgate won the opening two sets Friday and appeared positioned to extend its recent dominance of the series. Instead, Navy won the final three sets 25-14, 25-21 and 15-9 to complete its first reverse sweep since beating Army in November 2023.

That victory also ended a nine-match Navy losing streak against Colgate and a 10-match losing streak against the Raiders in Hamilton. Navy had not won at Colgate since Nov. 3, 2018.

Then came Saturday’s sweep.

Instead of needing another dramatic comeback, Navy controlled Holy Cross from the opening serve.

Historic start to Patriot League play

Navy’s 2-0 conference record carries additional significance.

This is the first time the Midshipmen have started Patriot League play 2-0 since the abbreviated spring 2021 season, when Navy played Loyola on consecutive days. More significantly, it is Navy’s first 2-0 conference start during a traditional full season since 2018.

Navy began Patriot League competition 3-0 that year.

The Midshipmen also continued their long-term success against Holy Cross. Navy entered Saturday leading the overall series 50-13 and the Patriot League series 47-13. On the road, Navy held a 21-9 overall advantage and a 23-5 Patriot League record against the Crusaders.

Saturday added another win to each of those totals.

The result was also much more comfortable than Navy’s previous visit to Worcester. Last October, the Midshipmen needed five sets to defeat Holy Cross after surrendering a two-set advantage. Navy eventually survived 15-13 in the fifth.

This time, Navy never allowed the match to reach that point.

Tough nonconference schedule may be paying off

Navy’s 2-6 nonconference record was not what the Midshipmen wanted, but the first Patriot League weekend suggests the early schedule may have prepared the team for conference competition.

The Midshipmen faced Indiana State, Western Michigan, Green Bay, Coppin State, Penn, Stony Brook, Old Dominion and UMES before league play. Navy experienced five-set matches, four-set battles and several difficult losses during that stretch.

Labrador’s team then closed nonconference competition with the victory over UMES.

The Midshipmen have not lost since.

Navy has now won nine sets during its three-match winning streak while losing only three, all against Colgate. The Midshipmen also demonstrated two very different ways to win during the opening Patriot League weekend.

Friday required resilience.

Saturday required consistency.

Navy delivered both.

Lafayette and Bucknell come to Annapolis

Navy now returns home with an opportunity to build on its 2-0 Patriot League start.

The Midshipmen host Lafayette Friday at 6 p.m. at Wesley A. Brown Field House before welcoming Bucknell Saturday at 4 p.m. Both matches are scheduled to stream on ESPN+.

That gives Navy an opportunity to translate its successful road weekend into momentum at home.

The Midshipmen enter the weekend having won three straight matches and will have the benefit of playing in Annapolis after opening league competition with consecutive road matches.

A 2-0 Patriot League start is encouraging.

What Navy does with it will determine whether this weekend becomes simply a good road trip or the beginning of something much larger.

MSB Take

Navy’s overall 4-6 record is somewhat misleading right now.

The Midshipmen went through a difficult nonconference schedule, experienced some uneven performances and entered Patriot League play two matches below .500. What matters now is that Navy appears to be playing its best volleyball precisely when the conference schedule has begun.

Friday’s win at Colgate showed Navy’s toughness. Falling behind 2-0 against a team it had not beaten in nine consecutive meetings could easily have resulted in another loss. Instead, the Midshipmen completed a reverse sweep and won in Hamilton for the first time since 2018.

Saturday showed something different.

There was no comeback required. Navy grabbed control immediately, hit .302, served aggressively, defended well and never trailed in two of the three sets. The Midshipmen turned what could have been a difficult second match in roughly 24 hours into a 79-minute sweep.

Eike earning Patriot League Player of the Week and Chambers earning Defensive Player of the Week further illustrate how complete Navy’s weekend was.

Navy is 2-0 in the Patriot League for the first time in a full season since 2018. Now Lafayette and Bucknell come to Annapolis.

The Midshipmen have given themselves exactly what every team wants at the beginning of conference play: momentum and an opportunity to build on it at home.