EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette volleyball hosted Navy on Saturday evening in a 3-1 loss for the Leopards (25-20, 25-20, 25-22, 31-29).

The Mids grabbed a 4-1 lead to start the first set, thanks to four errors by the Leopards. Lafayette grabbed its first lead of the game (6-5) after freshman Destiny McKenzie recorded an ace and Navy recorded an attack error. The Mids reclaimed a three-point lead later in the set (18-15) and Navy went on to take the first period 25-20 with a kill by Anuhea Hauanio-Lore and a Leopard error.

The Leopards were rolling in the second set, posting a 25-20 win. The initial 14 points were neck and neck (7-7), but kills by middle blockers Hannah Ehrich-Pollock and Natasha Zorbas helped Lafayette gain a four-point advantage (12-8). Both teams traded blow for blow as they approached the 25-point mark. The score was 20-20 prior to the Leopards ending the set with a 5-0 run that featured kills by senior Nina Kernan and an ace by freshman Mackenzie Calhoun.

Period number three had 10 tie scores and five lead changes. As a unit, the Mids hit for .267 in the third set compared to Lafayette's .179. The Maroon and White led 20-17 before Navy got hot. A four-point spurt tied the match at 21 points apiece, but Navy's Lilah Stevens picked up two huge kills that got Navy over the line, 25-22.

The final period was a 60-point thriller. Stevens continued to lead the Mids' offense, notching five kills in the fourth set. Lafayette tallied three-more kills than Navy (4-1) in the last set, but once Navy got going, it proved to be tough to stop it. Lafayette held an initial 7-1 lead and later found  itself in the driver's seat with a 21-12 advantage. The Mids then recorded an 8-1 run that brought them within four (23-19). Freshman Paige Chmura gave the Leopards a 25-24 lead, but neither side gave in. A service error by Lafayette and a kill by Katie Jackowski finished the set off, 31-29.

Lafayette returns to the court at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with a trip to Navy.
 

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