UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Another weekend facing stiff competition saw Colgate drop a pair of 3-1 matches to nationally-ranked Western Kentucky and James Madison inside Rec Hall Friday afternoon at Penn State.
Western Kentucky, ranked 22nd nationally, and James Madison, an NCAA tournament team last year, combined for a 53-9 record last season. Colgate's schedule doesn't get easier on Saturday when the Raiders face No. 14 Penn State on its home floor.
Colgate took a set in each match on Friday and went toe-to-toe with the competition. Carlie Rzeszotarski, who has at least 15 kills in four of the team's first five matches, led the team with 33 kills in the doubleheader including a career-high 17 against James Madison.
"While we never want to lose, we battled two very good teams," said Head Coach Ryan Baker. "Western Kentucky is a top-25 program and James Madison was in the NCAA's last year with a majority of their lineup back.
"We are a few points away from a very special weekend. I love that we are getting tested and exposed. Our team will take these losses and grow. Overall, I'm happy with how we look at this point and am looking forward to our match versus Penn State tomorrow."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Western Kentucky 3, Colgate 1
Set 1: Western Kentucky 25, Colgate 21
A seesaw battle saw both teams trade a pair of early 3-0 spurts before Western Kentucky established a 13-9 advantage. Kills from Greta Hoogstra and Milan Bayless highlighted Colgate's middle stages before the Hilltopers pulled away with a 5-0 run. Colgate closed within 22-19 on back-to-back attack errors but Western Kentucky closed out the opening set, 25-21.
Set 2: Western Kentucky 25, Colgate 20
Western Kentucky landed swings early and often during the opening stages of the second frame. The Raiders trailed 18-10 when kills from Rzeszotarski and Hoogstra ignited a 4-0 spurt to close within 18-14. The margin remained four points 22-18 after attack errors kept Colgate within striking distance but Western Kentucky sealed the set down the stretch, 25-20.
Set 3: Colgate 25, Western Kentucky 22
Colgate caught fire in the late stages of the third set, closing it out with an emphatic 7-0 surge. Bayless and Rzeszotarski each had kills and Sydney Jones dotted a service ace to highlight the closing run, which turned a 22-20 deficit into a 25-22 victory. Western Kentucky led by as many as three points during the back-and-forth set until the Raiders found their rhythm late.
Set 4: Western Kentucky 25, Colgate 23
The Raiders carried momentum over to the fourth set after building a 13-8 lead on the strength of kills from Rzeszotarski and Frances Torres. The Hilltoppers immediately responded with three straight points and the teams traded points the rest of the way. The set was tied at 18s, 19s, 20s, 21s, and 22s down the stretch. Colgate briefly held the upperhand 23-22 before Western Kentucky used a 3-0 closing run to seal the set and match, 25-23.
James Madison
Set 1: James Madison 25, Colgate 21
James Madison took the lead for good with an early 5-0 charge that turned a 6-5 deficit into a 10-6 margin. The teams traded shots before the Dukes extended their lead to 22-16. Kills from Abby Shadwick and Sophie Thompson gave Colgate a late 5-1 spark that closed the gap to 23-21 but James Madison scored the final two tallies to secure the set, 25-21.
Set 2: James Madison 25, Colgate 23
Another back-and-forth frame saw James Madison break away from a 13-13 tie with a 5-0 surge. Rzeszotarski landed three straight kills to build a 5-1 streak that closed the Raiders within 19-18 before James Madison pulled away to take a 24-21 edge. Another Bayless kill brought Colgate within 24-23 but the Dukes scored the final point to seal the set, 25-23.
Set 3: Colgate 25, James Madison 22
Three James Madison errors sandwiched between kills from Thompson and Bayless ignited a 5-0 spark that gave Colgate a 12-8 advantage. The Dukes immediately responded with five straight points of their own and the score remained tied 22-22 before the Raiders captured the final three points of the frame, sealed by kills from Bayless, Torres, and Rzeszotarski.
Set 4: James Madison 25, Colgate 19
James Madison clinched the decisive frame by scoring the final five points. Before the final run, there were 10 lead changes with each team going back and forth. Colgate's last lead came when Torres' kill made it 11-10 midway through the term. The Raiders found themselves down by just one point, 21-20, when James Madison pulled away to seal the victory.
UP NEXT
Colgate (2-3) closes the weekend road trip at No. 14 Penn State Saturday at 2 p.m.
