WASHINGTON – Colgate's 13-match win streak came to an end with a 3-2 loss to American on Sunday afternoon inside Bender Arena. The Raiders battled back from a 2-0 deficit but fell just short in the fifth and final set, 15-12, for their first Patriot League loss since November 2022.
Despite the loss, Colgate still holds a one-game lead atop the Patriot League standings after second-place Army fell to Lehigh in Patriot League action on Saturday. The defeat snapped Colgate's win streak as well as its seven-match head-to-head streak against American.
"I give a ton of credit to American," said head coach Ryan Baker. "They played better than us in many areas. I loved our response in sets 3 and 4 to push the match to a fifth set. Unfortunately, we didn't execute the way we needed to. We will break down the film and get back to work."
Abby Shadwick posted a team-best 15 kills to go with 11 digs and four solo blocks en route to her fourth double-double in the last six contests. Sydney Jones also tallied a double-double behind 37 assists and 13 digs. Gillian Hauschild landed 14 kills with a .345 hitting percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: American 25, Colgate 16
American hit .323 overall and landed four service aces in the first set. Defensively the Eagles registered three blocks including two in a 6-0 surge to build a 19-10 advantage. Colgate had one late gasp thanks to a pair of kills from Gillian Hauschild but the Eagles finished it off to take the first set, 25-16.
Set 2: American 25, Colgate 23
The two teams went neck-and-neck from start to finish. Neither team led by more than two points in the entire frame. With both teams trading shots, back-to-back kills from Carlie Rzeszotarski and Frances Torres gave Colgate a 20-19 lead. The Raiders still held a one-point margin 23-22 but the Eagles scored the final three points including the last two from Zeynep Uzen to take the set, 25-23.
Set 3: Colgate 25, American 20
American built an early 10-7 lead but the Raiders responded after a timeout. Hauschild landed three kills in a 7-2 surge that turned a deficit into a 17-15 lead and forced an Eagles timeout. Colgate never trailed again with kills from Rzeszotarski and Harper Snyder leading the way. Rzeszotarski capped off the term with a service ace to fend off the sweep, 25-20.
Set 4: Colgate 27, American 25
Another hard-fought battle saw momentum swings for both teams. Colgate led 20-16 after a service ace from Shadwick but American caught a hot streak with four straight points to draw even. The Eagles took a 23-22 lead before Colgate grabbed the upper hand for good on a kill from Hauschild. The Raiders finished off the set with a block from Shadwick, 27-25.
Set 5: American 15, Colgate 12
The fifth and final set couldn't be much closer. Kills from Rzeszotarski and Shadwick sparked a 3-0 spurt to give Colgate an early 8-7 edge. Another kill from Libby Overmyer kept the Raiders in front but the home team scored three unanswered to claim the lead for good. With the score 14-12 in favor of American, Rzeszotarski's attack just missed the back line and the Eagles held on, 15-12.
UP NEXT
Colgate (15-5, 8-1 PL) is back home to host Bucknell Friday at 7 p.m.
