LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell volleyball will shoot for its longest winning streak of the season when it takes on Holy Cross and Army this weekend. As the second round of Patriot League action gets underway, the Bison (8-11, 4-3) will take on the Crusaders (3-19, 1-6) at 7 p.m. on Friday in Worcester, Mass., and the Black Knights (19-3, 7-0) at 4 p.m. on Saturday in West Point, N.Y.
Live video and live stats will be available for the match with the Black Knights at goARMYsports.com.
ABOUT THE BISON
Bucknell swept both its Patriot League opponents last weekend, giving it a two-match winning streak. That equals its season high, as the team also defeated St. Peter’s and St. Francis (N.Y.) in back-to-back contests to start the year. That also means the Bison will be going for their first three-match winning streak when they take on Holy Cross Friday night. The last time Bucknell won at least three in a row was during the 2006 season. That Bison squad had three streaks of three wins or better throughout the year.
Last weekend’s wins over Lafayette and Lehigh also moved Bucknell back into the top four in the Patriot League standings. Being among the league’s four best teams is key to extending the season as only the top four advance to the Patriot League Tournament in November. Entering the weekend, Army is in first place, followed by Colgate (6-1), Bucknell and American (4-3) and Lehigh (3-4).
Bucknell ranks second in the Patriot League in team service aces with 1.67 per set. Colgate currently holds the top spot with 1.83 aces/set.
The Bison also have a handful of individuals in the top 10 in the Patriot League rankings. Among them are Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) is second in blocks (0.92/set), Emily Sawanobori (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) is fifth in digs (3.57/set), Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) is sixth in hitting percentage (.277) and Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) is ninth in kills (2.72/set).
Bucknell’s top players have remained consistent through much of the season. After the first round of Patriot League play, the same Bison continue to lead the team in their respective categories. Segal has recorded a team best in kills (174) and Allison Gittings (Dayton, Md./Glenelg) continues to lead in assists (416). Defensively, Sawanobori is still tops in digs (241) and Jackson lead in blocks (58).
ABOUT THE CRUSADERS
Holy Cross enters the weekend with a 3-19 overall record and a 1-6 tally in the Patriot League. The team’s lone league win came last weekend against Navy as the Crusaders swept the Midshipmen. However, they fell the next day, 3-1, to American.
Bucknell dominated when the two teams met in Lewisburg a month ago. The Bison swept their opponent – 25-14, 25-19, 25-16 – in Davis Gym. Kamp and Segal both tallied double-digit kills with 11 and 10, respectively. Those totals helped the Bison to beat the Crusaders with a .257 hitting percentage, compared to .019 for Holy Cross. Holy Cross’ Megan Lynch led all players with 14 kills.
With much of the season gone, Lynch leads the Crusaders in kills with 269 (3.32/set). Chelsey O’Donnell retained her hold on the setter position with 683 assists (8.43/set), while Angela Chisholm is nearing the 300 digs mark. The libero has 299 (3.69/set) entering the match with the Bison.
ABOUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army has dominated the Patriot League through the first round of action, earning a perfect 7-0 league record. The Black Knights enter the weekend in the midst of an 11-match winning streak, but they will have to get through the league’s second-ranked team in Colgate on Friday before hosting Bucknell on Saturday evening. Army also has a near-perfect record on its home court. With a 9-1 record in West Point, the team’s only loss came to Sacred Heart in September.
Bucknell and Army kicked off the Patriot League season in their last match. Army won, 3-1, in Davis Gym, taking the opening two sets 25-18 and 25-18. Bucknell won the third 26-24 but was unable to maintain the intensity to the end. Army closed it out 25-15 in the fourth. Amanda Rowell led all players with 12 kills, while Jackson and Segal posted a team-high eight for the Bison. Jackson also earned a career-best nine blocks in the match.
Army is led by freshman Ariana Mankus. Mankus leads the Patriot League in kills with 289 (3.66/set) and earned her fifth Rookie of the Week honor from the league last Monday. Maureen Bannon also has a league high mark with 845 assists (10.43/set) this season. As a team, the Black Knights lead all Patriot League squads in hitting percentage (.237), opponent hitting percentage (.152), assists (12.17/set) and kills (13.33/set).
UP NEXT Bucknell’s road trip will be a short one. The Bison will return to Davis Gym for their next contest, taking on Colgate at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. The match has been designated a Pack the House contest.
