ITHACA, N.Y. – Colgate Volleyball capped off the weekend with a pair of 3-1 victories over Temple and UAlbany to complete the Cornell Invitational sweep on Saturday.
Colgate showed a gritty performance in Saturday's opener against Temple and followed that up with a sparkling showcase of offensive and defensive highlights in the nightcap. The Raiders have now won five consecutive matches, starting with the four-set thriller over Tennessee, and head home to open their title defense next weekend at Cotterell Court.
Colgate 3, Temple 1
The first match of the day was as close as it gets with each of the first three frames decided by two points. Colgate dropped the first set before rallying to take the final three terms and run its winning streak to four matches. The Raiders sealed it with a decisive 25-19 victory in the final set to carry momentum over from Friday's 3-1 win over Cornell.
The Raiders posted seven service aces in the opening match, led by four from Taylor Cigna, and held Temple to a .146 hitting percentage. Abby Shadwick recorded a double-double behind 13 kills and 10 digs – both team-highs. Sophie Thompson geared Colgate's defense with a season-high six block assists and Sydney Jones dished out 22 assists.
Colgate connected on a match-high .286 hitting percentage with 11 kills to just three errors in the fourth and final set. Anchored by the dominant defense on the back row and an imposing presence at the net, Colgate forced Temple to seven errors on 19 attempts for a .167 fourth-set hitting percentage. The Raiders finished the match with 18 block assists.
Colgate 3, UAlbany 1
Squaring off for its third match in less than 24 hours, Colgate completed the weekend sweep with its third consecutive 3-1 triumph – this one more dominant than the previous two. The Raiders carried a fast start to an opening 25-20 victory in the first set before clinching the match with a pair of 25-22 set victories around the third-set victory by the Great Danes.
Shadwick registered her second consecutive double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs. Julia Kurowski (7) and Harper Snyder (6) were dominant at the top of the tape, combining for 13 block assists. Cigna shined on the defensive side with 18 digs, and Kurowski (22) and Jones (16) combined for 38 of the team's 50 assists.
Colgate tallied a season-high 20 block assists in the balanced victory. The Raiders posted a .262 hitting percentage and held UAlbany to a .208 clip with 24 errors. From the service line, Rachael Martinez posted three aces to give Colgate seven for the match.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"This was a great ending to our preseason. We've learned a lot about ourselves and I am loving the fight in this group. We have a bunch of players who love to compete and play together."
UP NEXT
Colgate opens its Patriot League title defense next weekend when the Raiders host Loyola and American at Cotterell Court. First serve against the Greyhounds is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday night.
