HAMILTON – It couldn't have been a narrower match as the Colgate volleyball program battled through a five-set thriller in the Patriot League Semifinal.
After 44 tie scores, 18 lead changes, and extra points, the Raiders claimed a 3-2 win over American to advance to their first Patriot League Championship since 2016.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A trend that would last throughout the match, it was a point-for-point start through the opening six. American began to pull ahead at 11-7 as an ace capped a 4-0 run, but it wasn't the only team to hit runs on the afternoon. An
Alli Lowe kill to center court extended the Raiders 6-0 run that regained the lead at 13-12 for the home team, but the advantage would flip again as American regained its footing.
A big point after chasing to keep the ball in play put the Raiders back within two at 20-18, while a two-point rush at set point rallied the Raiders, but American was able to close out the opening game at 25-20.
Alli Lowe - Player of the Year Award
In another evened start, Colgate eventually gained a two-point advantage at 7-5, but of course it kept being evened up in the postseason battle. Remaining tied even at 16s,
Cami Carfino took to the back line and make it a 3-0 run for the Raiders with an ace. American went on to regain the lead after a bobbled ball at 22-21, but it was then
Harper Snyder of the Colgate squad served up a sneak attack to make it 23s. Firing up the bench, was a block by Snyder and
Athena Leota to lift the team to set point before Colgate claimed the 25-23 victory.
The third was no different as the Raiders rallied ahead to a 14-10 edge, one of their largest advantages of the day. Snyder and
Julia Kurowski combined for a stop at the net after a huge rally for a 17-13 edge, before the Raiders extended to a six-point lead. Steadily working ahead towards 25, Lowe's 10th kill of the match claimed the 2-1 edge in the match at 25-18.
As the Eagles looked to force a fifth, they jumped for a block that built a 7-3 edge early. Powering ahead American went up 18-11, before Colgate came out of a timeout with a point by Kurowski. Not looking to let go of the game easily, Colgate went on a 6-1 run behind back-to-back Carfino aces, effectively narrowing the set at 23-18. When it looked like Colgate would run to an 8-1 stretch, American reversed a point with a challenge to earn the 25-20 win.
As tensions rose in the fifth set, Colgate came out to claim the first point. Just as any other game had been, it was a point-for-point start until the first two-point spread was earned behind a pair of
Sophie Thompson kills at 8-6. American would tie it yet again at 8s, before stringing together a 3-0 run for a 12-10 advantage. A clean sideout for the Raiders after a short serve was followed by Lowe hammering a center court kill to get Colgate within one at 13-12.
American tied it again, one of 12 times in the shortened set, but another kill by Thompson gained a 15-14 lead for the Raiders as the League foes entered extra points. To reach the third match point, Thompson and Kurowski combined for a block at 16-15, before Kurowski served up an ace for the final point. With the 17-15 victory, the Raiders stormed the court with the energy of advancing to the Patriot League Championship.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
Julia Kurowski - Setter of the Year Award
• Colgate advances to its first Patriot League Championship since 2016 and now hunts for its first tournament title since 2012.
• With the win, Colgate has gone 2-1 against powerhouse American in its last three matches and advances to the Patriot League Championship on a seven-match win streak.
• Behind 45 assists and 14 digs, setter
Julia Kurowski recorded her team-leading fifth double-double in the season's nine matches.
• In an outstanding all-around performance, sophomore
Cami Carfino notched season-high of 10 digs, a career-high of three service aces, and five kills. She also had a perfect reception of 1.000 on 24 serves.
• At the net, Patriot League Player of the Year
Alli Lowe posted a team-high of 15 kills along with nine digs.
• Defensively, libero
Bridget Kolsky led the squad with 18 digs while sophomore
Sophie Thompson recorded a team-high of five total blocks.
• The 44 tie scores and 18 lead changes are a high of the season for the Raiders. The second set included a match-high of 19 tie scores and eight lead changes.
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 3, American 2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 20-25, 17-15)
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate now holds an 8-1 overall record with a 7-1 Patriot League mark.
• American completes their season 4-4 overall and went 4-3 in league play.
HEAD COACH RYAN BAKER'S TAKE
"This was a great match between two teams who played their hearts out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. Give credit to American, as we struggled getting offensive production like we have this season, but our team played their hearts out. At the end, it was just pure grit and toughness.
"
Cami Carfino,
Sophie Thompson and
Athena Leota led the way emotionally.
Ashley Chow was big for us at the service line and changed the momentum for us. In the fifth set, Julia [Kurowski] and Bridget [Kolsky] took over and the team followed. It was special to watch and be a part of."
UP NEXT
The Raiders remain at home to host Army in the Patriot League Championship on Saturday. First serve is set for 3 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate volleyball program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateVB and on Instagram at Colgate_VB.
