Final Statistics: Army 3, Lehigh 0

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army volleyball team used a quick start and had three players reach double-figures in the kills column as the top-seeded Black Knights eliminated fourth-seeded Lehigh, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Gillis Field House. The win advances Army to the Patriot League Tournament title match for the first time since 2005 where the team will face No. 2 American and in Sunday's championship match. First serve is set for 4 p.m. at Army's Gillis Field House.

Army made quick work of the Mountain Hawks, taking the first two sets by identical 25-14 scores. Lehigh made Army work for a come-from-behind win in the third, 26-24.

"I'm extremely excited and proud of the way we came out to play today," said 2009 Patriot League Coach of the Year Alma Kovaci. "We came out and played focused, relaxed and under control.  This was a huge match for us. Passing the semifinals is something that we've struggled with in the past. It's like we broke a spell and are so excited to have a chance to play for the title tomorrow.

"Statistically, this was not a great match for us. Lehigh came to play, especially in the third. Sometimes it's not about the stats though. It's all about heart and determination and we had that today. When this team wants to put something away, they do it. We've been able to exceed in pressure situations, much like today was."

Sophomore OH Fabiola Castro led the Black Knights with 13 kills, while Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year freshman OH Ariana Mankus and second team all-league pick junior MB Amanda Rowell added 11 kills apiece. Mankus hit for a team-high .400 percentage with just a single miscue in her 25 attempts. Senior S Maureen Bannon led all players with 30 assists and five service aces, while junior L Brittany Jensen's 19 digs also led both teams.

Bannon wasted no time leaning on her powerful jump serve, serving for the first four points of the match. Army jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the early going on a kills from freshman RS Francine Vasquez. The Mountain Hawks would get no closer than six the rest of the way in a lop-sided first set. Army, meanwhile, led by as many as 12 (20-8) on a Mankus kill off a set from junior S Karyn Powell. Lehigh ended the frame ended the set with back-to-back errors (25-14).

Army opened the second set in a similar fashion, cruising out to a 10-3 lead on a Lehigh error. Bannon registered three of her five service aces consecutively during the run, while Mankus also served for five points. Again, Army built a 12-point advantage (20-8) when Rowell put one down from the middle. The Mountain Hawks would not recover as Army went into the break with a 2-0 advantage.

The third and clearly most competitive set featured 12 ties and five lead changes throughout. Trailing by a 21-18 score, head coach Alma Kovaci called a timeout that resulted in her Black Knights out-scoring Lehigh by an 8-3 margin to collect a thrilling 26-24 win. Mankus took over the set, hooking up with Bannon for three-straight kills to end the Lehigh's season.

The Black Knights hit for a .178 percentage, while holding Lehigh to a .062 mark.  Army totaled eight blocks, including five apiece from Vasquez and Rowell, to Lehigh's six.

Freshman Taylor Poole led the Mountain Hawks with seven kills.

In Saturday's second semifinal match, American swept third-seeded Colgate.

American and Army will meet in the Patriot League Tournament for a fifth-straight year. The Eagles have won eight-straight tournament titles, hence making the NCAA Tournament eight years in a row. Army has never earned an NCAA Tournament berth.

"American is known for being tall and powerful," Kovaci said. "They have improved greatly since they last played here at West Point. They have two great outside hitters and a solid middle attack. We might be the number one seed, but American is battle-tested and this is not new territory for them. They have the experience and confidence to do this. We're going to have to be mentally prepared to face adversity in order to come out victorious."

Army will continue its free raffle during Sunday's championship match. Open to cadets and general public (including ODIA employees), fans can visit the Marketing table to fill out a free raffle ticket for a chance to win either a 32" flatscreen HDTV, 8GB iPod nano or a 5-megapixel digital camcorder. The winners will be drawn during the break (between sets two and three) in Sunday's championship match. Winners must be present to win.

Notes: Senior S Maureen Bannon surpassed 4,000 assists (4,018) against Lehigh ... the Black Knights went 3-0 against the Mountain Hawks this season ... Army has won three Patriot League titles (1991, 1992, 1994) ... head coach Alma Kovaci reached her 75th career victory on Saturday ... she reached 75 victories faster than any other coach in program history and heads into Sunday's title match with a remarkable 75-13 record.