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The #2 Navy Midshipmen (23-8) defeated the #1 American Eagles (26-8) in five sets 25-22, 19-25, 25-21, 25-27, 15-9 to claim the program’s first Patriot League tournament title. The Midshipmen avenged two prior losses to American this season by defeating the defending Patriot League champions on their home court Sunday afternoon. Coming into the contest, American had won the Patriot League tournament each of the last five years and compiled 15 tournament championships over the past 17 seasons. While Navy shared a regular season title in 1999, Sunday’s victory made history as the program’s first tournament title thus earning the Patriot League’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The Mids are on top of the mountain! The #2 seeded @NavyVolleyball beat the #1 seeded American in 5 sets to become @PatriotLeague Volleyball champions . @WatchStadium @NCAAVolleyball pic.twitter.com/olUsiTWuss
— Patriot League Network | PatriotLeague.tv (@PatriotLeagueTV) November 18, 2018
Navy was led by Navy’s first ever Patriot League Tournament MVP, Maddi Sgattoni, Patriot League Setter of the Year Patricia Mattingly and All-Patriot League Second Team honoree Katie Patrick. Mattingly, Patrick, and the rest of the 2019 graduating class are largely responsible for the program’s trending success as the seniors have led the Midshipmen from a sixth place conference finish as freshmen in 2015 to a fourth place finish as sophomores (2016) and a second place finish in their junior year campaign (2017).
The Midshipmen will learn their future opponent of the NCAA tournament when the bracket is announced on Sunday, November 25th at 8:30 ET on ESPNU.
Patriot League champions! pic.twitter.com/Pjuc2JP3iI
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) November 18, 2018
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