EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette volleyball earned a 3-0 sweep over Army on Sunday at Kirby Sports Center.
Jada Aksu was the driving force for the Maroon and White, slapping down a match-high 12 kills. Paige Chmura (9) and Noa Kamphuis (8) combined for 17 spikes. Mackenzie Calhoun recorded 20 assists, with Sophia Wilson contributing 19. Defensively, Destiny McKenzie collected 22 digs. The Leopards notched nine team blocks, with Chmura and Kamphuis each tallying six block assists.
Army controlled the first set early with a 13-12 lead. Lafayette swung the momentum over the following seven points, capturing six scores (18-14). Four points came via opponent errors, while Johanna Groger picked up the other two points with a kill and service ace. The Black Knights wouldn't go away quietly, tying the period at 21 with a three-point spurt.The Leopards relied on kills from Aksu (2) and Justine Puig (1) over the next four points to take the set, 25-21.
The Maroon and White won the second period, 25-23, and swatted down 15 balls for points. During the set, four Leopards notched three-plus kills, led by Chmura and Kamphuis with four spikes apiece. Calhoun did most of her work in the stanza, recording nine assists. Army was held to a .103 hitting percentage, racking up 10 kills to six attack errors.
Lafayette's offense couldn't miss in the final set, hitting a blistering .343 in the period (14 kills, two attack errors). The first 30 points of the stanza were split evenly, 15-15. Following back-to-back kills from Puig, the Leopards rattled off a run of five-straight points to snatch a 20-15 advantage. The visitors closed the gap over the next 10 points (23-22), outscoring the hosts 7-3. With Army trailing by one, the Leopard duo of Chmura and Kamphuis came through in the clutch, denying back-to-back attacks at the net to secure a 25-22 set final and a 3-0 sweep.
Lafayette concludes the regular season at home, with Colgate visiting Easton on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
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