EASTON, Pa. – Colgate kept the winning streak alive and remained unbeaten in Patriot League play with a 3-0 sweep of Lafayette Saturday afternoon.
Colgate posted a .315 hitting percentage with 44 kills to just nine errors while holding Lafayette to a .209 clip with 43 kills and 19 errors. Athena Leota and Abby Shadwick were dominant at the net, finishing with 11 kills apiece. Greta Hoogstra posted three blocks to lead Colgate's balanced effort. Julia Kurowski had a team-best 22 assists and Taylor Cigna added 14 digs.
Set 1: Colgate 25, Lafayette 23
Colgate and Lafayette battled throughout the opening set. The Raiders used four straight kills from Leota (2), Carlie Rzeszotarski, and Harper Snyder to turn a 15-13 deficit into a 17-15 lead. Lafayette tied it up at 17-17 and eventually led 22-21, but the Raiders finished strong with four of the last five points. Kills from Shadwick and Rzeszotarski capped off the 25-23 opening set.
Set 2: Colgate 25, Lafayette 21
The second set saw similar runs from both teams, and Colgate's came first. The Raiders raced out to a 17-10 lead with a 7-1 scoring surge, helped by three straight attack errors on Lafayette's side. The Leopards chipped away, however, and closed the gap to three after a kill from Nina Kernan made it 24-21, but the Raiders closed it out with Shadwick's kill to seal the second set.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Lafayette 21
Lafayette jumped in front early with an 11-6 lead. Colgate roared back with a 6-1 scoring spurt, capped off by kills from Sydney Jones and Kurowski, to tie the set at 12-12. The two teams went point-for-point and it was tied again at 19-19 before Colgate claimed the lead for good with three straight points thanks to a service ace by Jones. Another kill from Shadwick sealed the deal and the Raiders came away with their second consecutive 3-0 sweep.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"I am pleased that we found a way to win in three sets. Lafayette played hard in many areas of the match and it took us a while to get into a rhythm. Our hitters did a nice job staying patient and our setters made some good decisions.
"We have a tough match against an undefeated Bucknell team who is rolling at home. I'm looking forward to watching us compete."
UP NEXT
Colgate (10-3, 3-0 PL) concludes the weekend with a 3 p.m. matchup at Bucknell (10-2, 3-0 PL) Sunday afternoon.
