PITTSBURGH – Colgate's season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA tournament with a 3-0 loss to No. 6 Pittsburgh Friday night at the Petersen Events Center.
The Raiders conclude their season 24-6 overall on the heels of their second consecutive Patriot League championship and NCAA tournament appearance. Pittsburgh improved to 28-3 on the season and advanced to face BYU in the second round on Saturday.
Colgate went toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh for large portions of the night. The Raiders' offensive approach put the pressure on but the Panthers' back row contributed to large runs in the middle stages of each frame to make the difference.
The Raiders finished with 28 kills, led by 11 from Abby Shadwick, who also recorded two block assists and three digs. Sophie Thompson and Carlie Rzeszotarski each had four kills, while Julia Kurowski paced the team with 13 assists. Defensively, Taylor Cigna tallied 14 digs. Thompson and Kurowski each added three block assists in the match.
Set 1: Pittsburgh 25, Colgate 16
Both teams came out firing with their best shots early in the set. Colgate got a pair of kills from Shadwick, and Thompson's kill helped the Raiders keep pace at 9-9. Pittsburgh took control with a 9-1 run midway through the set, a trend that continued throughout the night. Two attack errors for the Panthers and a service ace by Kurowski sparked a 3-0 Colgate spurt but the home team pulled away for the opening 25-16 victory.
Set 2: Pittsburgh 25, Colgate 14
Colgate once again jumped out to a quick start and went toe-to-toe through the early stages. Early kills from Thompson and Rzeszotarski kept the Raiders within 9-7 before Pittsburgh found another gear with a 6-0 run to turn a 14-10 margin into a 20-10 advantage. Rzeszotarski notched two kills down the stretch but the Panthers prevailed 25-14.
Set 3: Pittsburgh 25, Colgate 14
Three consecutive kills by Shadwick pushed Colgate in front 5-4 early in the third frame but Pittsburgh's 8-0 surge turned into a 12-5 advantage for the home side. Kurowski's kill snapped the scoring drought and the Raiders were within 17-10 after a pair of kills from Athena Leota. Another kill by Shadwick sparked a late 3-0 Colgate run to trim the margin to 23-14 but the Panthers responded with the final two points to seal the set and match.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"First of all, congratulations to Pittsburgh. They have a very unique system and it's an exciting style of volleyball. We talk about it at home a lot and it's something we try to simulate here.
"I am very proud of these guys. They're a very special group and they make me love what I do and where I do it. Back-to-back years in the NCAA tournament is really hard to do. We graduate some really good leaders who have made the locker room special but we return a lot and expect to be back next year. Lessons are always being learned. Once we get a break, we'll come back, break down the film, and figure out what we've gotta do to be better next time. We've got some areas that we want to improve on but we're incrementally improving and doing some special things. I'm very grateful for these guys – they have put Colgate Volleyball on the scene."
