BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate capped off the first half of Patriot League play with a 3-1 bounce-back win over Lehigh on Saturday afternoon at Grace Hall.
After playing five of the last six matches on the road, Colgate returns home for five of the next seven. The Raiders (7-1) at the midway point sit atop the conference standings, just ahead of Navy (6-1) and Army (6-2).
Abby Shadwick netted a season-high 17 kills to go with six digs and three service aces. Carlie Rzeszotarski added 10 kills and led the team with a .304 hitting percentage. Julia Kurowski (18) and Sydney Jones (17) combined for 35 of the team's 43 assists. Defensively, Taylor Cigna paced the Raiders with 20 digs and Harper Snyder added four blocks in the balanced effort.
Set 1: Colgate 25, Lehigh 19
The Raiders broke away from a 4-4 early start with a 7-2 surge, capped off by three straight Lehigh errors, to pull in front 11-6. Kurowski's kill sparked a late 3-0 swing and Colgate kept its distance the rest of the way. Shadwick finished it off with a kill to clinch the first set, 25-19.
Set 2: Lehigh 27, Colgate 25
A back-and-forth second set saw multiple runs that sent the frame to the bonus. Colgate built a 23-20 lead with three consecutive points, highlighted by a kill from Rzeszotarski, but Lehigh countered with three straight to tie things at 23-23. The set was evened up again at 25-25, but the Mountain Hawks grabbed the final two points to take the frame, 27-25.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Lehigh 22
Late runs were once again the story in the important third set. Colgate scored five in a row to take a 20-16 lead, then Lehigh scored five in a row to pull in front, 21-20. This time, the Raiders had the final momentum shift with five of the last six points thanks to back-to-back aces from Shadwick. Rzeszotarski capped it off with a kill to give the Raiders the upper hand, 25-22.
Set 4: Colgate 25, Lehigh 18
The Raiders scored the first five points of the fourth set behind four Mountain Hawk errors and created a 10-3 advantage after an ace by Kurowski. Back-to-back kills from Rzeszotarski and Shadwick gave Colgate its largest lead, 18-9. Lehigh made one final run to close within 22-17 before the Raiders put the match to bed with three of the last four points. A pair of kills from Athena Leota and Shadwick sealed the set and match for the Raiders, 25-18.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"I'm very proud of this team, especially over the past two weeks. We've been on the road and in the middle of exams. We've put together a lot of good matches and finished the first half of the league with a 7-1 record. Our team has been on the road for five of our first eight, which is very challenging. This team is a special group. I'm enjoying every minute of it."
UP NEXT
Colgate (14-4, 7-1 PL) returns to Hamilton to host Binghamton at 7 p.m. on Wednesday for its final non-conference test of the season. The Raiders stay home to host Navy next Saturday, Oct. 15, for a 2 p.m. first serve at Cotterell Court. Both matches can be streamed live on ESPN+.
