Volleyball Team to End Regular Season This Weekend

Mids in fourth place heading into final matches

	Alexa Gibbs

Nov. 7, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The final weekend of the regular season for volleyball teams in the Patriot League arrives this week with Navy taking to the road for the third-straight week for matches Friday at Lafayette (6 p.m.) and Saturday at Lehigh (4 p.m.).

Navy enters the week in fourth place in the Patriot League with a 6-6 record, Lafayette is currently tied for fifth place with a 4-8 record and Lehigh is in seventh place with a 2-10 mark.

Only the top-four teams at the end of the season advance to the Patriot League Tournament. American (11-1), Army (10-2) and Colgate (10-2) all have clinched playoff berths, with the fourth and final spot to be awarded to either Navy or Lafayette. The Mids can advance to the postseason for the third time in the last four years by winning one game from Lafayette Friday, by defeating Lehigh Saturday or with a loss by the Leopards to American Saturday.

"We still have work to do this weekend," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "We can't be thinking about winning just one game Friday. We have to prepare ourselves to win matches. We need be focused and ready to play complete matches both Friday and Saturday."

Navy posted a 30-17, 30-21, 30-28 victory over Lafayette the first time the teams faced each other Oct. 13 in Annapolis. Navy totaled a .308 attack percentage on the afternoon, while holding Lafayette to a .145 mark. The Mids also held an 8-1 advantage in service aces that day.

Navy's Rachel Dougherty (Sr., Derwood, Md.) totaled 19 kills and just one error on 44 swings in the match to lead all players in kills. She was joined in double figures by teammate Jessie Sims (Jr., Etowah, N.C.) with 10 kills. In addition to Dougherty and (.409 hitting percentage), Sims (.400), Alexa Gibbs (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) (.412) and Abbie Merkl (So., Upper Marlboro, Md.) (.455) also enjoyed a strong day for Navy on the offensive end. Defensively for the Mids, Marissa Watson (Jr., Redondo Beach, Calif.) grabbed a Navy-best 10 digs, while Dougherty registered a trio of blocks.

Lafayette's offense was paced by Cara Mulholland and Maura Kelly. Mulholland finished the nearly 90-minute match with 12 kills and a .300 hitting percentage, while Kelly tallied 11 kills and hit .500. Kari Horn matched Watson's dig total in the contest, with Kelly also adding a trio of blocks for the Leopards.

Dougherty also was productive during Navy's 30-17, 30-22, 30-25 victory over Lehigh Oct. 12 in Macdonough Hall. The senior knocked down a match-high 17 kills and added a .394 hitting percentage. Gibbs, meanwhile, finished the match with 13 kills, a .429 attack percentage, two aces and three blocks. Pacing the Navy defense was Aimee' Burns (Sr., Dallas, Texas) with 13 digs and Sims with 10.

Lehigh was led in the match by Shannon Spafford, who tallied six kills and a match-high five blocks.

Navy held a .294-.083 advantage in hitting percentage and grabbed 53 digs to 35 for Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks, though, recorded nine service aces to Navy's five and held a slim 6.0-5.0 lead in team blocks.