ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Sophomore outside hitter
Emma Sorensen tallied a match-best 18 kills as the Holy Cross volleyball team swept through Patriot League foe Navy 3-0 Friday evening at the Wesley Brown Field House.
The win, the fifth straight for the Crusaders and sixth over their last seven matches moves them to 12-11, 5-5 PL. The loss sends the Midshipmen to 8-10, 6-4 PL.
Sorensen, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week hit .267 in the match with 10 digs three total blocks and two aces. It was her third straight double-double, 11th of 2026 and 18th of her career. Junior middle blocker
Lacey Murphy hit .412 with eight kills and a contest-high four total blocks as well.
The Midshipmen were led by Paige Buzzerio's 10 kills and eight digs.
SET SCORES:
Crusaders 3, Midshipmen 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20)
HOW IT HAPPENED:Â
- Freshman setter Drew Flanagan set up Sorensen for a kill giving the Crusaders their first lead at 5-4 in the opening set. A 4-1 Midshipmen run put them ahead 13-11. Trailing by a pair 16-14, the Crusaders used a 6-1 run with Lacey Murphy posting a pair of kills and a block with Flanagan for the 20-17 Holy Cross edge. Lacey Murphy and Flanagan combined for another block and Lacey Murphy's fourth kill of the set expanded the lead to 22-19. Sorensen closed the set with three straight kills for the 25-19 set win.
- Sorensen's stretch of kills continued into the second set as her fourth straight kill made it 1-0. This was the start of an 8-3 first set run which included a sophomore middle blocker Kyla Harris ace. A freshman right side Kat Teepe kill kept the Crusaders ahead by five, 14-9. Following the media timeout, Navy used a 6-2 burst to trail by one, 19-18. The Crusaders then produced three straight via a Sorensen kill, a Flanagan ace and a Sorensen and Harris block for the 22-18 lead. Flanagan found Harris for the set clinching kill.
- Navy jumped in the lead at 7-5 early in the third stanza. Flanagan dished to Lacey Murphy to move the Crusaders ahead 14-13. Sophomore outside hitter KK Green converted another set from Flanagan for the 15-14 edge at the media timeout. Sorensen's 15th kill of the match moved the score to 18-15 as Navy took a timeout. Three straight from the hosts leveled the set 18-18. Sorensen had a hand in four straight points getting a trio of kills and an ace for the 22-20 Holy Cross lead. A Teepe kill with a Navy attack error and another Sorensen ace clinched the sweep for Holy Cross.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- The five Patriot League victories are the most in a single-season since 2018 (seven).
- This was the Crusaders first win in Annapolis since Nov. 5, 2011 and also their first sweep against the Midshipmen.
- The Crusaders five straight wins is their longest winning streak since recording six straight victories during the 2001 season (Aug. 31-Sept. 8).
- Nine of Sorensen's 18 kills came in the first set.
- Sophomore defensive specialist Elizabeth Hall tallied a match-high 15 digs. It was her ninth straight match with double-digit digs.
- Lacey Murphy (94.0 blocks) moved into sixth place on the program's single-season block list passing Carissa Bennett's mark of 92.0 in 2000.
- Lacey Murphy has 183.0 total blocks in her career and needs 22 more to move to 10th place on the program's all-time list.
UP NEXT:
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