HAMILTON – The Colgate volleyball program swept the opening weekend of Patriot League play behind its 3-0 sweep of Loyola on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders continue conference action at home on Thursday against Holy Cross.
Photo Gallery
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Raiders were off to a 3-0 start but became all tied up at 6-6 against Loyola. With a kill to center court,
Alex Stein lifted the Raiders to a 15-12 lead midway through the opening game, before an ace by
Julia Kurowski claimed the 25-17 set win for Colgate.
The second set was a much closer game, going point-for-point through 10s, until a block by
Hailey Horn-Bostel gained Colgate's 15-11 edge. Fueling the run, a kill by
Alli Lowe increased Colgate's lead to 20-11 after an eight-point scoring run. Another 4-0 scoring streak was capped with an ace by
Anne Martinson for the Raiders' 25-15 win.
Although they were eyeing up the sweep, the Raiders faced their closest set by far. With a 4-0 Loyola scoring run, the Raiders called a timeout trailing 11-8, but came out of the time with a pair of points. After back-to-back kills by
Ellen Hamlin put the Raiders on a 3-0 scoring streak, Colgate was within one at 13-12. When the Raiders faced a 22-20 deficit, they came back with a kill by
Taylor Flaherty to tie the game at 22s. After regaining the lead behind a 3-0 run at 23-22, a decisive block by Horn-Bostel and Kurowski sealed the sweep at 25-23.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• Leading the team offensively was senior
Alex Stein with 12 kills and nine digs. A well-rounded performance, Stein also had one ace and one solo block against the Greyhounds.
• A consistent performance this weekend was sophomore
Hailey Horn-Bostel, as she notched seven kills while hitting .462 paired with five total blocks.
• In the back row, junior libero
Bridget Kolsky led the Raiders with 16 digs. Kolsky has double-digit digs in 12 of the season's 14 matches.
• At the net, freshman
Athena Leota tied her two-time season-high of three total blocks and totaled six on the weekend in Patriot League play.
• At the back line, Colgate had five aces by five different players.
• The last time Colgate started Patriot League action 2-0 was back in the 2013 campaign against Army and Holy Cross.
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 3, Loyola 0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-23)
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate improves to a 9-5 overall record, and is 2-0 in the Patriot League.
• Loyola marks an 8-8 record on the year, and holds a 1-1 record in league play.
HEAD COACH RYAN BAKER'S TAKE
"I was very happy with how we played after an emotional win last night. Loyola has some very good outsides and are really scrappy. It was great to see us compete and not back down.
"This was a great team effort and I can't wait to build on it this week."
UP NEXT
The Raiders continue Patriot League play at home this week as they welcome Holy Cross to Cotterell Court. First serve is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday evening.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate volleyball program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateVB and on Instagram at Colgate_VB.
