BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Colgate extended its win streak to seven with its 3-1 defeat of Lehigh Saturday afternoon at Grace Hall. It was the Raiders' ninth straight win over the Mountain Hawks. 

With the win, Colgate remains atop the Patriot League standings heading into Sunday's showdown with second-place Lafayette. 

Alli Lowe and Libby Overmeyer led the Raiders' offense with 14 and 13 kills, respectively, while Cami Carfino had another strong game defensively, with a team-high 15 digs. Sophie Thompson and Athena Leota were forces at the net, contributing five and four blocks, respectively. Julia Kurowski had 38 assists on the day. 

Set 1: Colgate 25, Lehigh 16
The first set featured steady back-and-forth play until Colgate scored nine unanswered points to take a 14-7 lead on Kurowski's serve. The Raiders maintained their lead the remainder of the set behind five kills by Lowe. 

Set 2: Lehigh 25, Colgate 23
After taking an early 3-1 lead, Colgate fought from behind for much of the second set. The Raiders were down by as many as eight and managed to battle back with a couple of four-point runs. Colgate came within one point of the Mountain Hawks several times late in the set, thanks to kills by Lowe, Overmeyer, Kurowski, and Harper Snyder, but Lehigh held on to even the match at one set apiece. 

Set 3: Colgate 25, Lehigh 18
Lehigh jumped out to a strong start in set three, forcing Colgate to once again play from behind. Down 7-9, the Raiders went on a ten-point run on the serve of Carfino, including two aces, to take the lead 17-9. Lehigh countered with a run of its own to bring the deficit to three at 17-14. A service ace by Taylor Cigna and two more kills by Lowe helped the Raiders win eight of the next 12 points and close out the set 25-18.  

Set 4: Colgate 28, Lehigh 26 
Throughout a tight fourth set, neither team gained a significant lead. Another Carfino serving spree gave Colgate an 18-17 edge. The teams stayed close, each with two- or three-point spurts. After nine ties, the Raiders clinched the match on kills by Snyder and Overmyer. 

FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker 

"I am really proud of the fight this group shows night in and night out. We continue to get everyone's best and tonight was no different.  

Lehigh got better with each set, but this team just fought and scraped. It'll be another tough road match tomorrow."

UP NEXT
Colgate faces off against Lafayette on Sunday in a battle for first place in the Patriot League standings. First serve from Easton, Pa. is scheduled for 4 p.m.