Oct. 27, 2003

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After climbing back into the playoff race with a pair of Patriot League road victories last weekend, the Navy volleyball team will open a three-match homestand Tuesday night by playing host to Coppin State in Macdonough Hall. The week will conclude with a Friday match against Army and a Saturday encounter with Holy Cross. All three matches start at 7 p.m.

Navy improved its league record to 4-5 with a five-game win last Friday at Lehigh and a four-game victory Saturday at Lafayette. Navy's win at Lehigh marked the first time since 1997 the Mids left Bethlehem with a win over the Mountain Hawks. With five matches remaining, American leads the league with a 9-0 record, one victory ahead of second-place Bucknell at 8-1. Lehigh and Army are tied for third place with 5-4 records, with Navy in fifth place. The top-four teams at the end of the season advance to the league tournament.

Navy swept Coppin State in three games when the two teams met Sept. 23 in Baltimore. Navy's Beth McArthur (Fr., Roseville, Minn.) led all players with 13 kills and a .667 hitting percentage, while Coppin State's Veronica Curry recorded 12 kills and hit .276. As a team the Mids outhit the Lady Eagles, .348-.068.

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Navy junior rightside hitter Ashley Van Hartesvelt (Breckenridge, Colo.) has been named the Patriot League Player of the Week following her performances in Navy's wins over Lehigh and Lafayette, it was announced Monday by the league office.

Van Hartesvelt tallied a career-high 32 kills, hit .257 and hauled in 17 digs Friday against the Mountain Hawks, followed by a 13-kill, 12-dig outing against Lafayette. In the two league matches Van Hartesvelt averaged 5.0 kills and 3.22 digs per game. She has now recorded double-doubles in four of the last-five league matches and in six of the nine league matches on the year.

Her 32 kills against Lehigh are the most an individual has recorded in a Patriot League match this season, as well as the second-most kills in any match by a league player this fall. She also became the first Navy player to surpass 30 kills in a match since Jen Williams had 30 in a 1999 match, and it was the most by a Mid since Gina Foltz had 32 kills in 1995 match.