HAMILTON – Colgate head coach
Ryan Baker wanted to host the opening weekend of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship as a reward. For his team and the fans.
Both had earned it.
Friday night at Cotterell Court, the Raiders and their crowd lived up to the coach's expectations and produced a hard-working 3-1 victory over ACC-member Boston College.
Leading two sets to one but trailing 18-14 in Set 4, Colgate produced a 10-0 run behind the combination of
Julia Kurowski's serving, timely kills from
Alli Lowe,
Alex Stein,
Sophie Thompson and
Taylor Flaherty, and a smothering block by Flaherty and Thompson.
Lowe ended the match just two points later with her 14th kill for a 25-19 score line.
The win vaults Colgate into Saturday's second-round match against Tulane after last year's NIVC runner-up defeated New Hampshire 3-1 Friday afternoon. Start time Saturday from Cotterell Court is 5 p.m.
The Raiders chalked up victory No. 23, most by a Colgate squad since the 1996 Patriot League champions coached by Vicky Chun finished 27-7. Friday's victory was also the first post-Patriot League tournament win since that 1996 team won an NCAA Play-In match against Rider.
How It Happened
Set 1: Colgate started quickly, trading two points for one in building a 6-3 lead. But then the Raiders really took over at the net, with
Hailey Horn-Bostel contributing three kills and Stein two. Stein's second capped an 8-0 run and Colgate led 14-3. Boston College fought back, winning seven of the next eight before Horn-Bostel's nifty left-handed fingertip made it 16-10 Raiders. The teams traded points the rest of the way -- neither side scoring more than two in a row -- before Lowe's service ace ended it for the Raiders at 25-19.
Set 2: Boston College grabbed an early 4-1 lead in Set 2. The Raiders hung around and finally jumped in front for the first time a 9-8 when Thompson capped a three-point rally. But the Eagles responded with six points of their own for a 14-9 edge. After Colgate pulled within one, BC pocketed five of the next six to go in front 19-14. The Eagles coasted from there in another 25-19 decision, this time favoring the visitors.
Set 3: Colgate's blocking turned the tide in the pivotal Set 3. There were four early ties and two lead changes before Colgate twice earned two points for one to take an 11-8 edge. BC closed to within 12-11 before three consecutive Colgate blocks -- Horn-Bostel and Flaherty on a double, followed by solos from Stein and Horn-Bostel -- boosted the Raiders in front 16-11. Boston College pulled within 20-17 but kills from Thompson, Lowe and Stein sent the Raiders to a win in the third straight 25-19 score line.
Set 4: Boston College began its comeback attempt with a solid start to Set 4. The Eagles scored three in a row and then four consecutive to lead 10-4, forcing a Raiders timeout. Points see-sawed and Colgate was able to close within 14-11 and 15-13, only to watch BC extend the margin to 18-14. That's when everything clicked for the Raiders. Kurowski's serving set up kills across the lineup, and a double-block by Flaherty and Taylor accentuated the 10-0 run to put the Raiders on the brink. Lowe's kill finished it at, what else, 25-19.
Statistical Standouts
• Horn-Bostel was sensational, posting 10 kills, a .529 attack percentage and five blocks.
• Stein contributed a double-double, her 16th of the season.
• Kurowski finished with multiple service aces for the sixth time this year. She has nine aces in her last four matches.
• Friday's win marks the fourth straight season Colgate has knocked off at least one Power 5 opponent.
The Bottom Line
• Colgate 3, Boston College 1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 25-19)
Record Updates
• Colgate improved to 23-7 for its most wins in 23 years.
• Boston College ended its season at 20-12.
Head Coach Ryan Baker's Take
(On the win) "This team deserves this after the season they had – the ability to host and then play a quality Boston College team that has had a great season and is an ACC Power 5 school. And then to win it in front of our fans makes it even better.
"I'm happy for this team because they've earned it all year."
(On blocking in the third set) "We lost the second set when our blocking really went downhill. It was something we talked about in the timeout – 'We can win this match if we start blocking.' And we're very capable. We did a great job of adjusting to their players and started to get their timing down."
(On the late 10-0 run) "To be down 18-14 and win 25-19,
Julia Kurowski put the team on her back. She's done that in all different ways this season but what a great moment for her to remember, to beat Boston College with a serving run like that."
(On Tulane) "Tulane is a really good team. They played for NIVC championship last year at Iowa State, so it will be another great match of two teams battling."
Senior Julia Kurowski's Take
(On her late serving run) "We were down and I just went back to the line and decided I was going to go after it. Our fourth-set mentality was to come from behind, to keep fighting and don't back down. Ryan and Bill tell us to fight like dogs and that's the mentality we had.
"Our whole team was dialed in and we really wanted to win that fourth set. We did not want to go to five."
Up Next
• Colgate advances to Saturday afternoon's second round matchup against Tulane.
• The Green Wave (22-10) knocked off New Hampshire 3-1 in Friday's opening match.
• Start time from Cotterell Court is 5 p.m., with the Patriot League Network carrying the livestream.
Follow the Raiders
For more information on the Colgate volleyball program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateVB and on Instagram at Colgate_VB.
