HAMILTON – The Colgate volleyball team grinded out a gritty 3-1 win over Bucknell Friday night at Cotterell Court to pick up an important victory in Patriot League play.
First-year
Alli Lowe led the Colgate offense with 20 kills. Senior
Lauren Sanderson and junior
Katie Stansbury both registered double-doubles for the third-straight game.
A back-and-forth opening set saw eight tie scores and several lead changes before Bucknell used an 8-4 streak to turn a 12-12 tie into a 20-16 lead and force a Colgate timeout. The Bison held set point at 24-21, but kills from Lowe and sophomore
Taylor Flaherty helped Colgate battle back to even the score at 24. The score was then tied at every point until it reached 28-28. The Raiders were able to close out the first-set victory with a kill from Stansbury and block from Sanderson and junior
Jaelah Hutchison that secured the 30-28 come-from-behind win.
The second set started close until the Bison used a 9-2 run to turn a 13-12 deficit into a 21-15 advantage. Colgate answered right back with six-straight points to tie the score once again at 21-21, but the Bison put down the final four points of the term to claim the 25-21 set-two victory and even the match at 1-1.
The third set was tied at 10-10 before a Lowe kill sparked a 7-3 Raider streak that gave Colgate a 17-13 advantage and forced a Bison timeout. The Raiders scored six of the next eight points out of the break to stretch their lead to as much as eight at 23-18. The Bison pulled within six, but a Lowe kill and a service ace from first-year
Bridget Kolsky secured the 25-17 set-three victory as Colgate took a 2-1 match advantage.
Colgate carried its momentum into the fourth set as the Raiders took an early 8-3 lead and forced Bucknell to burn both of its timeouts. The Raiders continued to cruise, extending their advantage to as much as eight at 18-10, until Bucknell battled back within three at 23-20. Kills from Stansbury and Lowe thwarted the Bison rally and secured the 25-20 victory and 3-1 match win.
BOTTOM LINE
WON-LOST RECORDS
- The Raiders are now 12-9 on the season and 3-6 in league action.
- Bucknell drops to 10-11 overall and 4-5 in the Patriot League.
KEY RAIDER INFO
- Lowe tallied 20-plus kills for the second-straight match and third time this season.
- Sanderson finished with 54 assists and 11 digs to go along with four total blocks, two of which were solo stuffs.
- Stansbury registered 11 kills and a team-leading 17 digs.
- Flaherty chipped in 13 kills and three total blocks.
- Sophomore Jessica Lathan led the squad with a strong .385 hitting percentage behind six kills.
FACTS & FIGURES
- Colgate finished the match with a .191 hitting percentage and the Raiders limited the Bison to a clip of .113.
- Colgate hit a match-high .262 in the fourth and final set.
- The Raiders held a 12-7 team block edge.
- Colgate finished the 63 kills against Bucknell's 48.
UP NEXT
- The Raiders close out their weekend homestand Saturday when Colgate hosts Lehigh.
- First serve is set for 4 p.m. from Cotterell Court.