HAMILTON – Offensive precision and defensive consistency paved the way to Colgate Volleyball's 3-0 sweep over Holy Cross on Friday evening at Cotterell Court.
With their eighth straight win, the Raiders improved to 9-0 at home and inched one step closer to a regular season championship. Colgate can clinch the title with a win over Army and the two teams square off Sunday in West Point.
Colgate dominated all facets of the floor, finishing with a .481 hitting percentage while holding Holy Cross to .037. The Raiders tallied 44 digs and five blocks defensively. Four players registered at least seven kills, led by Carlie Rzeszotarski (9) and Gillian Hauschild (8). Julia Kurowski contributed to the season-best hitting percentage with 20 assists. Defensively, Sophie Thompson led the way with four blocks and Taylor Cigna secured 10 digs.
Set 1: Colgate 25, Holy Cross 22
A tough start from the service line forced the Raiders into an 18-11 hole. Colgate hit .424 in the frame and started rolling when Kurowski and Thompson rocked back-to-back kills to spark a 14-4 momentum swing. Colgate withstood seven service errors in total and climbed all the way back to tie it, 21-21, on an ace by Abby Shadwick. Holy Cross jumped back in front before Colgate scored the final four points, sealed by a kill from Rzeszotarski.
Set 2: Colgate 25, Holy Cross 11
The Raiders picked up where they left off from the first frame and cruised to a 2-0 lead behind a .619 hitting percentage. Kurowski's service ace capped a 4-0 run and Colgate established an early 13-6 lead. Kills from Rzeszotarski and Hauschild pushed the lead to double-digits and it was smooth sailing from there. An ace by Cami Carfino and a kill by Shadwick secured the second set.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Holy Cross 9
Colgate progressively improved throughout the match and put it all together in a dominant third set. Backed by precision at the net and consistency from the back row the Raiders built a double-digit lead and never looked back. With three blocks in the frame, Colgate held Holy Cross to a -.038 hitting percentage. The Raiders hit .440 and tallied four of their nine service aces to coast to the victory.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"I'm pleased with our response tonight. We started slow and Holy Cross came out firing. It took us a while to get into a rhythm, but we found a way. Our offense showed up in a big way.
"We have a tough match on Sunday against a very strong Army team. I look forward to watching us compete."
UP NEXT
Colgate (21-4, 13-1 PL) hits the road to face Army on Sunday at 2 p.m. with first place on the line. The Raiders currently hold a one-game lead over the Black Knights with two matches left in the regular season. Colgate swept Army in Hamilton back on Sept. 30.
