Volleyball team ready for semifinals

Top-ranked Colgate hopes to capture tournament title

The expectations were high going into the 2021 season for Colgate Volleyball. The Raiders went 24-8 in 2019, followed by a 7-1 record the next year and the top seed in the Patriot League tournament in a pandemic-shortened season.

Now another season is over. Colgate stands at the head of the pack with a 16-9 overall record, the regular season league title in its pocket, and another chance at Patriot League tournament glory.

The Raiders will host the semifinals starting Nov. 20 with a battle against No. 6 Navy. The team has made it to four straight Patriot League tournaments, but always fell short of a championship.

This year's team, however, is in a better position to take the next step. The squad is playing at a high level. There's a mix of young talent and veteran leadership. Players have tournament experience—and a greater determination for victory.

They know what needs to be done.

Athena Leota '23 said she expects a better result this time around.

"I have full confidence that there is nothing standing in our way," she said. "The past two years, when we have come so close, we were kind of beaten by ourselves."

Colgate was the favorite going into the Patriot League season. The Raiders steamrolled the competition, finishing with a 13-3 league record.

Winning the league title, however, wasn't easy, said Colgate Volleyball Coach Ryan Baker.

"It's very challenging and it's a testament to how hard the players have worked and how healthy the players have stayed so far," he said.

Several factors are behind Colgate's success. The team avoided injuries. The roster has depth. The level of competition within the team is so high practices are often more intense than the matches themselves. The players have become a cohesive group. They're the best of friends while pushing each other to improve.

"From the beginning, it's all or nothing this season," Libby Overmyer '24 said. "We have a goal to win and everyone has to buy into that."

It has been a season to remember for Colgate Volleyball. Baker earned his 250th victory, making him the second coach in program history with at least 200 wins. Only coach Janet Little has more with 385 wins in 17 seasons from 1977-93.

Colgate clinched a regular season title for the second time in three years by beating American, a team the Raiders have historically struggled to defeat. The victory completed a regular season sweep of the Eagles, which Colgate had never done before.

The next day, Colgate bested Navy to secure its first outright regular season championship since 2012.

Three Colgate players received All-Patriot League First Team selections.

Colgate is 35-5 in Patriot League matches over the last three seasons.

The 2021 season, however, started in much-less dominant fashion. Barely two week into the season, Colgate was faced with a 1-6 record.

Such a start could rattle confidence and prompt teams to sound the alarm. Baker, on the other hand, was not worried.

His squad was chock-full of talent. The team knew it would rebound.

The 1-6 record was the outcome of a test Baker designed for his players. Coaches pick their non-conference opponents. Baker wanted to see his team square off against tough competition. This year, he matched Colgate against teams like Kansas State, UNLV, and Nebraska, a perennial national contender ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten.

The purpose was to expose his team and identify flaws before the Patriot League season.

"I've always been a believer in creating a non-conference schedule that tests your players physically, mentally, and emotionally—and exposes their weaknesses," Baker said. "To me, losses early on, if it's done correctly, creates wins later in the schedule."

Create wins it certainly did. Colgate followed the rough start with winning streaks of four and eight. By November, the 1-6 record was ancient history.

Alli Lowe, the Raiders' captain and a fifth year senior, said Baker's early-season strategy was a wake-up call.

"Being 1-6 is never fun, but we were able to really learn from that experience in a way that helped us get to where we are today," she said. "Without those wake-up calls, it would have been harder to be successful in league matches."

Baker said the players have poured their hearts and souls into the team in recent years, creating a positive culture and a desire to become a premier women's volleyball program.

"There's a genuine love amongst them that is pretty special," Baker said. "This is a group of players that hate to lose. They hate to lose more than they love to win."

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Players Mentioned

#3 Athena Leota: RS; 6' 1"; Junior

#14 Alli Lowe: OH; 6' 0"; Senior

#2 Libby Overmyer: OH; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#3 Athena Leota
: 6' 1"; Junior
: RS

#14 Alli Lowe
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OH

#2 Libby Overmyer
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH

Players Mentioned

#3 Athena Leota

#14 Alli Lowe

#2 Libby Overmyer

Players Mentioned

#3 Athena Leota

#14 Alli Lowe

#2 Libby Overmyer