HAMILTON – Colgate avenged one of its two Patriot League losses this season with a convincing 3-1 victory over Navy on Saturday afternoon at Cotterell Court.
 
Colgate (16-8, 13-2 PL) with the win clinched its first outright regular season championship since 2012, which also marks the last time the Raiders hoisted the Patriot League trophy.
 
The final clincher came on a day Colgate honored its five seniors who have helped lead the team to four straight Patriot League tournaments, two regular season titles, a championship appearance, and a National Invitational Volleyball Championship bid.
 
Alli Lowe and Libby Overmyer led the team in kills (13), while Julia Kurowski posted a double-double behind 32 assists and a team-high 13 digs. Defensively, Colgate tacked on a season-high 30 blocks, led by nine and eight from Sophie Thompson and Lowe, respectively.
 
Set 1: Colgate 25, Navy 15
Colgate used a 6-1 scoring spurt to turn a 9-9 tie into a 16-10 advantage midway through the first set. Overmyer and Thompson teamed up for five consecutive kills to ignite the swing. Navy responded with the next four points before Colgate put the set to bed with a 7-0 run capped off by back-to-back blocks by Thompson, Lowe, and Athena Leota. A kill by Lowe preceded an attack error by the Mids to seal the 25-15 victory.
 
Set 2: Navy 29, Colgate 27
Navy came out on the winning end of a back-and-forth second set. Neither team led by more than two points during the frame which featured 16 ties. The set was leveled at 20s, 21s, 22s, 23s, 24s, and 25s. Colgate couldn't capitalize on two set point opportunities and a kill by Overmyer tied things once more at 27-27, but the Mids scored the final two points on kills by Cami Herman and Avery Stowell to come away with the 29-27 win.
 
Set 3: Colgate 25, Navy 11
The Raiders bolted out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back in a dominant third set. Three of those early points were stamped by kills from Thompson and Lowe. The margin stretched out to 17-7 capped off with blocks from Thompson and Lowe. Colgate scored five of the last six points sparked by two Sydney Jones service aces and a kill by Hailey Horn-Bostel.
 
Set 4: Colgate 25, Navy 20
After Navy scored the first point of the fourth set, Colgate scored the next two and never trailed again. It was 7-6 when Kurowski notched a service ace in a quick jolt to gain separation 10-6. Navy closed within 18-15 but the Raiders answered with four of the next five points to lead by as many as six 22-16 and then coasted to the 25-20 final to complete the victory.
 
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
 
"Regular season championships are very difficult to attain. They don't come without sacrifice, hard work, and togetherness. This 2021 team has displayed all of those. Our depth is something special and it has allowed us to have great practices. Our seniors have earned us this championship by buying into their roles and doing whatever the team needs at that moment. I am very happy for this special group.
 
"Our blocking and defense were the difference makers tonight. Sophie and Alli had huge nights on the net and it rallied our team. Cami and Cigna made some big digs at key moments. This was some special team volleyball and it was great to capture the regular season championship in that fashion."   
 
UP NEXT
Colgate closes out the regular season next Saturday, Nov. 13, at Loyola at 4 p.m.