RALEIGH, N.C. – Another milestone crossed off for Colgate Volleyball.
The Raiders dominated Tennessee on both sides of the net and came away with a 3-1 victory – their first-ever win over an SEC opponent. This also marks Colgate's first power five victory since defeating Rutgers 3-1 in August 2018. Two of Colgate's three wins this season have come against teams that appeared in last year's NCAA tournament.
Abby Shadwick was a force at the net, leading the Raiders with 12 kills. Carlie Rzeszotarski registered a career-high eight kills and Colgate hit .233 as a team while holding the Lady Volunteers to a season-low .151. Julia Kurowski added another double-double performance with 21 assists and 10 digs. Taylor Cigna also tallied 10 digs in the balanced effort across the board.
Set 1: Colgate 25, Tennessee 21
The two teams went back and forth through the early stages of the opening set with tie scores at 10-10, 15-15, and 18-18. The Raiders held a slight edge 21-20 thanks to an attack error on Tennessee's side, and then Shadwick slammed it home to spark a 4-1 finishing run. A service error and errant set allowed Colgate to pull away for the 25-21 first-set triumph.
Set 2: Tennessee 25, Colgate 15
Colgate led the second set 7-6 after back-to-back kills from Kurowski and Harper Snyder. It was still tight at 11-10 when Tennessee found its rhythm with a pair of separate 4-0 runs to break away, the latter of which pulled the Lady Volunteers in front 20-12, and Colgate could never recover. Tennessee scored the last two points to take the second set 25-15.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Tennessee 18
An impressive response saw the Raiders take advantage of early mistakes. Kurowski, Rzeszotarski, and Shadwick each netted kills in a quick 5-0 run that put Colgate in front for good. Three straight points off of errors on Tennessee's side stretched Colgate's lead to 17-9. Back-to-back kills from Snyder powered another 4-0 spurt that carried Colgate to the 25-16 win.
Set 4: Colgate 25, Tennessee 18
Colgate left no doubt in the decisive set, racing out to an early lead on the heels of an 8-2 run. A kill by Gillian Hauschild extended Colgate's lead to 12-8, and then three consecutive errors along with kills from Shadwick and Sophie Thompson quickly carried the lead to 19-12. One last gasp saw the Lady Volunteers settle a late run, but the Raiders scored the final two points to seal the deal with a 25-18 victory in the fourth and final set.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ryan Baker
"This was a significant win for this team and our program. As an institution, we always talk about doing big things on the national stage and today this group did just that. Tennessee is one of the premier women's volleyball programs in the country and was selected to finish third in the SEC this season. I have great respect for their coaches and their players. It was one of those matches where we were clicking on all cylinders.
"This match showed that this group is gritty and together. We won a lot of long rallies and exhibited a spirit that makes me proud. Our back row was tenacious and everything flowed from there. We still have some things that need work, but this showed what we are capable of. I'm beyond proud of this team and I know the Colgate faithful are as well."
UP NEXT
Colgate is coming home with momentum and hosts Niagara at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Cotterell Court. The team will unveil their 2021 Patriot League championship banner prior to the first serve.
