Oct. 29, 2005
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette volleyball team started its Patriot League match against Navy exactly how it wanted to. After downing the Mids, 30-23, and holding the momentum heading into game two, the Leopards fell in the next three games to lose the match 3-1 (30-23, 26-30, 23-30, 25-30).
The Leopards (13-13, 3-8) opened the match with four straight points before allowing Navy (17-7, 8-4) to get started offensively. Lafayette led by as many as six at several points, but put the game away with six consecutive points to take a 25-16 lead. Freshman Megan Carter served all six points, while kills from juniors Shannon Fisher and Veronica Canto-Ponce highlighted the stretch. Carter capped the run with an ace before Navy got back on track. Lafayette held steady defensively, coming out with the 30-23 win. The Leopards hit a match-best .273 on the game.
Game two opened with Navy on top by as many as 11-6 early, but Lafayette its way back in and made the score 11-9 with a kill from Canto-Ponce. The LeopardS continued to claw away at the deficit, and eventually tied the game, 18-18, as Fisher fired a Navy overpass back down for the point. Lafayette remained on the heels of the Mids down the stretch, pulling within two, 26-24, on a kill from sophomore Michaela Donohue. Unfortunately, the Mids outscored Lafayette 4-2 and ended the game on a kill from Nikki England.
The third set would resemble the second, as the largest lead by either team was a slim three points over the first three-quarters of the game. The session featured 14 ties, and the teams literally went point-for-point throughout. With the scoreboard reading 19-19, Navy began to pull ahead with three straight points. The Mids then relied on defense to hold off a late Lafayette rally to take the 30-23 decision.
Despite a valiant effort in what would be the deciding game, Lafayette could not overcome Navy's power hitting in game four. The Mids hit a team-high .245 with 17 kills for the game. Navy opened a 9-3 lead early, only to watch Lafayette knot the score, 10-10 on a service ace from sophomore Karla Barbiche. From there, the teams exchanged points, but Lafayette was never able to top the Mids late in the game. A Canto-Ponce kill put the Leopards within 28-25, but the Mids scored the ensuing two points for the win.
Lafayette hit .140 on the day, while Navy enjoyed a .216 effort. Senior Catherine Herchenroder and Canto-Ponce led the Leopard attack with 14 and 13 kills, respectively.
Carter finished the day with 43 assists, while Donohue came up with a team-best 22 digs.
The Leopards return to action on Wednesday night as the team hosts Wagner in a non-conference match beginning at 7 p.m.
