HAMILTON – Colgate won the final three sets to claim a 3-1 victory over Loyola in the first Patriot League match of the season Friday evening at Cotterell Court.
After dropping the first set, the Raiders picked up where they left off last weekend with more resilience and determination. Colgate finished with a .244 hitting percentage to Loyola's .197 while tallying 48 kills to the Greyhounds' 46.
Abby Shadwick recorded her third consecutive double-double with a team-leading 13 kills and 10 digs. Rachael Martinez paced the team with 13 digs with another strong performance from the back row. Leading Colgate up front, Julia Kurowski, Athena Leota, and Harper Snyder each registered three block assists. The Raiders finished with 12 blocks on the night.
Set 1: Loyola 25, Colgate 18
Colgate raced out to an 8-1 lead and had things in hand after Kurowksi's kill capped the run. The Greyhounds answered, however, with six different players registering a kill in a 9-3 run to steal the momentum and tie the set at 11-11. It was back-and-forth and remained tied until the Greyhounds built a 6-0 scoring spurt to take the lead for good. Colgate cut the gap to 24-18 but couldn't come all the way back and Loyola finished it off with a kill to take the first set, 25-18.
Set 2: Colgate 25, Loyola 17
Another fast start to the second set saw Colgate in front 10-7 after Shadwick's kill turned the momentum in the home team's favor. Two service aces from Sophie Thompson sparked a 6-0 streak to give the Raiders the lead for good. Consecutive blocks from Snyder and Leota capped the run with Colgate in front, 16-9. Loyola worked a 6-2 run to cut it to 22-17, but Colgate scored the final three points to seal the second set.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Loyola 20
Colgate scored five consecutive points to establish an early 12-5 edge thanks to a pair of service aces from Taylor Cigna. Shadwick was strong at the net and Colgate's back row formed a balanced attack. Back-to-back handling errors led to a kill by Leota and the Raiders nearly had the Greyhounds doubled up, 19-10. Loyola once again scored six straight points to make it 22-18, but a kill from Thompson sealed the third set for the Raiders.
Set 4: Colgate 25, Loyola 20
The Raiders appeared to have lost their momentum, allowing four early kills from Loyola, who opened the fourth set with a 5-3 lead. Colgate's Sydney Jones entered the game on the next play and made an immediate impact, contributing three assists as the Raiders orchestrated a 7-3 run to take a 10-8 lead. The two teams traded points for a while, but a Loyola attack error and a kill from Snyder gave Colgate a comfortable 17-13 advantage. Loyola cut the lead to one point with a 3-0 run, but it was too little too late. Colgate dominated the last 11 points of the match with an 8-3 run, capped off by a kill from Kurowski.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"I'm just really proud of our fight tonight. Loyola is a really good team who plays fantastic defense. I was really proud of our response throughout the night. We got better with each set.
Harper Snyder and
Sophie Thompson had a really good match for us."
UP NEXT
Colgate (8-3, 1-0 Patriot) looks to continue its winning streak against American University on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m. While American holds an impressive 34-8 record against the Raiders since the two teams started playing each other in 2006, Colgate has won the last four matches between the two teams, most recently in last year's Patriot League championship. American boasts a 7-3 record this season, and should offer a challenge for a Colgate team that looks to compete with the best as the season progresses.
