HAMILTON – Colgate bounced back to take the final two sets and secure a spot in the Patriot League championship with a 3-1 victory over Navy on Saturday at Cotterell Court.
 
The semifinal victory improved top-seeded Colgate's record to 17-9 overall. The Raiders will host American in the championship on Sunday at 4 p.m.
 
Alli Lowe was dominant on both sides of the net, finishing with 18 kills and 14 digs for a double-double. Athena Leota and Libby Overmyer also posted double-digit kills (12) while Julia Kurowski registered a career-high 40 assists in the win. Sophie Thompson finished with seven blocks.  
 
Set 1: Colgate 25, Navy 17
Colgate never saw a deficit in the opening set. It was 3-3 when a solo block by Harper Snyder sparked four straight points and Colgate never looked back with a 7-3 lead. The Midshipmen closed the gap to 11-10 on a kill by Kimberly Lynch, but Colgate shot right back with four straight points again, capped by blocks from Leota and Sophie Thompson. Navy never got closer than 21-17 and Colgate scored the last four points with back-to-back kills by Leota and Overmyer finishing things off.
 
Set 2: Navy 25, Colgate 18
Navy used a fast start to take the second set. After an early 5-5 tie, Navy responded with five of the next six points. A kill by Cami Herman gave the Midshipmen a 10-6 lead and that margin stretched to as many as 16-11. Leota's kill on the back end of a long rally cut Colgate's deficit to 16-13, but Navy stayed in front the rest of the way en route to the 25-18 win.
 
Set 3: Colgate 25, Navy 21
The Raiders responded in a big way to reclaim the match lead. Navy raced out front 7-2 but Colgate climbed all the way back and took its first lead 12-11 on a Mids attack error. Overmyer had a service ace and a kill during a 6-0 stretch to pull the Raiders ahead. The Mids were back within 16-15 when Colgate tacked on three straight kills by Overmyer, Lowe, and Snyder to put the set away for good.
 
Set 4: Colgate 25, Navy 14
Colgate jumped out to a 6-2 lead and never looked back in the fourth and final set. It was still a four-point margin 14-10 when the Raiders snagged all the momentum with a 6-1 scoring run. Kills by Kurowski and Leota highlighted the final swing and the Raiders advanced to the title match with a four-set victory over Navy.
 
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker

"It sounds cliche, but this was a total team win. Navy is a really good team who had a lot of momentum coming into this match after their win against Army on Tuesday. They had us on our heels for the first two sets. In the timeout in the third, the team made a huge change and response. It was great to see them make such an emotional and physical change when their backs were against the wall.
 
"Julia set a very good match and our hitters put up some big swings at key moments. Caroline Altergott made a huge impact on the match and Cami and Taylor made some huge defensive plays.
 
"We have another important one tomorrow. It'll be another tough match."

UP NEXT
Colgate and American meet on Sunday in the Patriot League championship. First serve from Cotterell Court is set for 4 p.m., with ESPN+ carrying the livestream.