UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Colgate's weekend at Penn State came to a close with a 3-0 loss to the No. 14 Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall.
The Raiders' three opponents this weekend combined for a 79-17 record last season, including two programs ranked in the top 25 and a pair of NCAA tournament participants.
Colgate's tough non-conference schedule of power five competition continues next week at home when the Raiders host West Virginia for its home opener Thursday at 7 p.m. to kick off the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament at Cotterell Court.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Penn State 25, Colgate 11
Penn State raced out to a quick start in all three sets, starting with a 6-0 burst to take a 14-3 lead in the opening frame. Kills from Gillian Hauschild, Sophie Thompson, and Lal Akin couldn't stop the Nittany Lions' momentum and the home team stretched the lead to 20-5. Carlie Rzeszotarski had a pair of kills down the stretch but Penn State claimed the set, 25-11.
Set 2: Penn State 25, Colgate 12
Hauschild shined in the early stages of the second set with three straight kills keeping the Raiders within striking distance at 8-6. Penn State countered with an offensive surge, using a 6-1 scoring streak to open a 14-7 margin. Another kill from Hauschild broke up another 6-0 spurt for the Nittany Lions, who pulled away to take a 2-0 set advantage.
Set 3: Penn State 25, Colgate 19
The Raiders put the Nittany Lions to the test in the third and final set. Hauschild, Milan Bayless, Frances Torres, and Akin landed early kills to give Colgate a 6-5 edge. A pair of Penn State attack errors allowed Colgate to build a 3-0 run and a 13-12 lead but it did not last. The Nittany Lions countered with four straight points to take the lead for good and seal the win, 25-19.
UP NEXT
Colgate (2-4) returns home for the Ellis Rowland Memorial Invitational, starting next Thursday when the Raiders host West Virginia at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court. The team will unveil last year's championship banners prior to the match. The six-match tournament also welcomes Cornell and UAlbany over the course of three days Sept. 7-9 in Hamilton.
