ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Colgate's historic run of 11 consecutive wins ended Friday night as Navy handed the Raiders their first Patriot League defeat by a final score of 3-1.
Friday night's decision marks Colgate's first loss since Sept. 2 at NC State. Colgate had won 11 in a row – a streak that began with a 3-1 win over Tennessee. Five of those wins came via 3-0 sweeps, including two straight leading into Friday's affair. Colgate's 11-match winning streak was its longest since posting 12 consecutive victories in 1991.
Navy (9-7, 6-1 PL) has a power five win this season as well, defeating Notre Dame, 3-1, on Sept. 10. The two teams meet again next weekend in Hamilton on Oct. 15.
Colgate won the first set before conceding the final three to a surging home side. Abby Shadwick led the way for Colgate with 14 kills, nine digs, and four service aces. Sydney Jones nearly had a double-double with 21 assists and nine digs, Harper Snyder registered 11 kills and six block assists, and Taylor Cigna recorded a team-high 15 digs.
Set 1: Colgate 25, Navy 23
Colgate raced out to an early lead and then withstood a late Navy surge to take the opening set. Lock-down defense and pin-point accuracy paved the Raiders to a 7-4 lead. Colgate committed just two errors and posted five blocks, including four from Snyder. Navy's late 4-0 rally led to a 21-20 edge but Colgate countered with a 3-0 run and held on for the 25-23 victory.
Set 2: Navy 28, Colgate 26
Colgate built a 9-5 lead but Navy rallied with four consecutive points to draw level at 13-13. From there, neither team led by more than two points until back-to-back kills from Shadwick gave the Raiders a 23-20 advantage. Navy responded with four of the next five points, and then each team traded serves to get to the bonus all tied up at 26-26. The Mids scored the final two points to take the second set, 28-26, and snap Colgate's streak of eight straight set victories.
Set 3: Navy 28, Colgate 26
The same score in Set 3 had a similar script to the second set with strong defense and timely offense on both sides. Snyder stood tall at the net with five kills and two blocks in the frame, helping Colgate hold the upper hand for most of the set. The Raiders led 24-22 but couldn't close it out after Navy scored four of the next five points. The teams traded points back and forth before the Mids capped off the 28-26 triumph with a service ace by Averi Miller.
Set 4: Navy 25, Colgate 12
Navy ran away with the fourth and final set. The Mids had the largest lead of the night for either team when they jumped out to a 10-4 lead. Colgate closed within 15-8 after a kill by Sophie Thompson but the home team scored nine of the final 11 points to close out the match.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"Hats off to Navy. They made the plays they needed to when they needed to. We will take this loss and learn from it. This doesn't get any easier tomorrow. I'm excited to see our response."
UP NEXT
Colgate (13-4, 6-1 PL) returns to the court on Saturday when the Raiders visit Lehigh at 4 p.m.
