HAMILTON – Colgate Volleyball Head Coach
Ryan Baker headlined Colgate's postseason Patriot League honors with his second straight Coach of the Year award, announced Monday.
Abby Shadwick and
Gillian Hauschild were named to the All-Patriot League First Team, while
Sophie Thompson and
Sydney Jones garnered All-Patriot League Second Team laurels.
Baker guided the Raiders to their third consecutive Patriot League regular season title behind a 20-7 overall record and 13-3 conference mark. The 18th-year head coach has led Colgate to 13 league victories four times in the last five years en route to his fifth career coach of the year honor, earning the award previously in 2012, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
Baker recently reached another milestone – securing his 300th victory with Colgate's sweep over Lafayette. He is the second head coach in program history to achieve the feat, and only trails Janet Little who led the team to 385 wins in 16 seasons at the helm.
Colgate's historic season has included two victories over power-five opponents, both as part of the team's magical 33-match home winning streak that spanned more than two years. The Raiders knocked off West Virginia 3-2 in their home opener, marking their first win over a Big 12 opponent in program history. Colgate swept Syracuse less than a week later.
Shadwick registered her second consecutive All-Patriot League First Team campaign after posting 169 kills, good for third most on the team, while netting a .258 hitting percentage. The junior outside hitter has posted four double-doubles, including a season-high 15 kills, 11 digs, and four solo blocks against American (Oct. 15).
Hauschild earned her first All-Patriot League nod after leading the team in kills (244) during the regular season. The junior right-side hitter has reached double-digit kills 11 times, highlighted by a season-best 18 kills to go with six digs and five block assists against Bucknell (Oct. 20).
Thompson's record-breaking season of highlights includes breaking the program's all-time record for block assists, now standing alone atop the record book with 408 and counting. She set an NCAA single-game record with 17 blocks against Bucknell (Oct. 20) and enters the Patriot League tournament ranked fifth nationally averaging 1.52 blocks per set.
Jones leads the team and ranks seventh in the Patriot League in assists (564) while averaging a team-best 5.81 assists per match. The junior setter has been a key factor in Colgate's .238 attack percentage with at least 20 assists in 14 matches, including a season-best 37 assists at American (Oct. 15). Jones is also second on the team with 181 digs (1.87 dps).
UP NEXT
Colgate (20-7, 13-3 Patriot) is set to host the final four of the Patriot League tournament. The Raiders face the lowest seed remaining in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Friday. Should the Raiders advance, they would host the Patriot League championship on Sunday at 2 p.m.
