STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Colgate volleyball program opened the Stony Brook Tournament with a sweep of Delaware followed by a 3-1 victory over Bryant on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders first sweep of the season featured a season-high hitting percentage of .319, while junior Alex Stein marked her fourth double-double of the season in the battle against Bryant. The Raiders will conclude the Stony Brook Tournament tomorrow after their 2-0 start in play against the home team at noon for the final non-conference match of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – 3-0 WIN OVER DELAWARE
The Raiders kick-started the Stony Brook Tournament by building a 6-0 lead over Delaware in the opening set. The Colgate momentum carried over and the squad didn't sacrifice a lead change, and just a single tie score through the entirety of the first two sets. Although the teams battled through six tie scores and three lead changes in the third set, the Raiders were able to persist and earn its first sweep of the season with three straight set wins.
 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• The Raiders combined for a .319 team hitting percentage against Delaware, their highest attack percentage of the season thus far.
• Senior Jaelah Hutchison swung for 10 total kills, marking her third double-digit kill performance of the year. Paired with her season-high offensive game of hitting .667, Hutchison also marked two total blocks.
• Continuing to lead the team offensively was sophomore Alli Lowe, who totaled 14 kills and her sixth double-digit kill effort of the season's 10 matches.
• Defensively, senior Peighton McRobie got down for a team-leading 11 digs, marking her third double-digit dig match of the year.
• While the Raiders posted four services aces, a pair came from sophomore Bridget Kolsky. A standout at the line, Kolsky has now marked multiple aces in three consecutive matches, and leads the team with nine on the year.
  
HOW IT HAPPENED – 3-1 WIN OVER BRYANT
The Raiders and the Bulldogs were going point-for-point through a tie at 15s to start off the match, before the Raiders 5-0 run to built Colgate up to a 20-15 lead, ultimately taking the set for the maroon on its third set point faced in extended play.

The second set featured a trio of aces by the combination of Alex Stein, Peighton McRobie, and Julia Kurowski. In a game just as narrow as the first, it was a kill by senior Jaelah Hutchison that tied the set at 16-16 before the Raiders rallied ahead to set point at 24-22. To put Colgate up 2-0 over the Bulldogs, senior Amanda Smith sealed the set with her 10th kill of the match, for Raiders fifth straight set win of the day in the Stony Brook Tournament doubleheader.

After leading through the first portion of the set, the Bulldogs hit a hot streak late in the third game with an 8-0 run to regain the lead 20-17. The momentum carried Bryant to a 25-18 win, with the Raiders holding the 2-1 edge in the match. As they started out the fourth set, the Raiders jumped ahead again as Smith's season-high 14th kill of the night put Colgate up 15-11. Powering through four lead changes and three tie scores, the Raiders were able to claim the match with a 25-20 final on forced attacking error of a Bulldog.
 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• Posting 20+ digs for the second time this season was sophomore Bridget Kolsky. Her eighth double-digit dig match of the season was just one shy of her season-high, with a team-best of 23 coming against Bryant.
• Leading the Raiders offensively was senior Amanda Smith, as she jumped for a team-high 14 kills on the night while hitting .500. The 14 kills ties her career-high effort, and marks her third double-digit kill performance in the last four matches.
• A force on both sides of the ball, junior Alex Stein's team-leading fourth double-double of the season came by 11 kills and 17 digs. In addition to her double-digit numbers, Stein scored three of the Raiders seven service aces on the night, in addition to three block assists. The three aces are just one shy of her four-ace career-high, marked against Northwestern.
• With 46 on the night, freshman Julia Kurowski tallied 40+ assists for the fourth time this season, while the 46 are just short of her 49 assist season-high vs. SFA. Also a versatile night, Kurowski marked one ace, one solo block, and six kills in addition to her assists.
• By swinging for 10 kills, senior Jaelah Hutchison tallied her fourth double-digit kill match of the season. A native of San Francisco, California, Hutchison also led the Colgate defensive squad with a hand in four of the Raiders 8.0 total blocks by three solos and one block assist.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 3, Delaware 0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-17)
• Colgate 3, Bryant 1 (27-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20)
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate improves to 5-6 on the season.
• Delaware holds a 6-5 record on the year.
• Bryant now posts a 9-6 record.
 
COACH BAKER'S TAKE
"I am so proud of our effort today.  We played two very scrappy teams in a very hot gym and gutted it out.  We battled the best I've seen this season." 
 
"The seniors really stepped up today with their play and voices. It's fun watching this group come together and compete.  We need to rehydrate and recover quickly.  We have another very tough battle against an experienced Stony Brook team who was last year's America East Champions."
 
UP NEXT
The Raiders conclude preseason tournament action tomorrow in a 1 p.m. first serve against the home team of the Stony Brook Tournament. It marks the final non-conference match of the season before the Raiders begin Patriot League play at Holy Cross on Sept. 21.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate volleyball program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateVB and on Instagram at Colgate_VB.