RALEIGH, N.C. – The Summit Hospitality Open came to a close for the Green Bay volleyball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Phoenix fell to the Army Black Knights 3-2 (18-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-22, 12-15).
The Phoenix offense was paced by Katie Schulz, who finished with 13 kills on the day (her third straight match with double-digit kills), and by Diane Pichelman, who had a season-high 12. Defensively, GB had three players reach double figures in digs, including Emma Johnson's 16, 14 from Alexis Gardner, and 14 more from Emma Best. From the front row, Olivia Neumann contributed nine blocks for the second straight match, and Kirsten Fish added five.
Mackenzie Lynch led the way for the Army offense, racking up 20 kills, while Chloe Murakami had 18.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | The Phoenix fell behind early, dropping a tough first set 25-18. Army led the majority of the way, grabbing a 3-2 lead and never looking back.
SET 2 | A 25-20 second-set loss put Green Bay in a 2-0 deficit. The Phoenix held a 14-11 lead, but the Black Knights closed the frame out by outscoring GB 14-9 the rest of the way.
SET 3 | Green Bay responded in set three, taking it by a score of 26-24. The set was tied 13 times and featured four lead changes. GB had one of its best offensive sets of the day, finishing with 14 kills on a .171 hitting percentage.
SET 4 | Green Bay kept the comeback rolling, winning the fourth set 25-22 to bring the match level at two sets apiece. A great serving effort helped GB, as they picked up five aces. After the lead changed hands eight times, the Phoenix finally took control for good at 23-22 and rode that advantage to victory.
SET 5 | The Phoenix dropped the fifth set and the match, with Army taking the frame 15-12. The Black Knights got in a rhythm offensively, racking up 10 kills out of their 15 points while hitting .250.
GAME NOTES
» Kennedy Schmitz had a team-high three aces in the loss.
» Army had a .172 hitting percentage compared to GB's .098.
» Green Bay attackers were helped by a team-high 37 assists from Emma Johnson.
COMING UP
The Phoenix will head to Madison next weekend for the Wisconsin Invitational, where they'll take on Chicago State and UC Davis.
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