HAMILTON – The first Colgate-Navy volleyball meeting since last year's Patriot League championship was certainly as advertised, with the Raiders winning the final two sets to come back and beat the Midshipmen 3-2 in front of a raucous crowd at Cotterell Court.
Carlie Rzeszotarski landed a career-high 18 kills to lead a lethal Colgate attack that improved as the match wore on. Gillian Hauschild drilled 13 kills with a .522 hitting clip, while Sophie Thompson was dominant again defensively with four solo blocks and seven block assists.
Colgate needed multiple comebacks to maintain its remarkable home winning streak which has now reached 29 matches dating back to September 2021. The Raiders also extended their current winning streak to seven while snapping Navy's eight-match winning streak on the other end.
"This was just a great match from both teams," said head coach Ryan Baker after the win. "Navy looked and played like an experienced team. They had us on our heels at many different times, but we made some big plays at the end. Our serve and pass were rock solid which you need against this Navy team. Overall, I just loved our fight and growth during the match. Tomorrow will be another tough match."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Colgate 27, Navy 25
Colgate and Navy traded points from start to finish. Neither team led by more than two points until the Mids built a 22-19 advantage and forced a Raider timeout. Colgate immediately responded with three unanswered points with an ace from Sydney Jones knotting the set at 22-22. The visitors reclaimed a 25-24 edge before Colgate made another 3-0 run to close it out. A block in the middle from Thompson capped the frame for the Raiders 27-25.
Set 2: Navy 25, Colgate 20
Navy took the lead and never let go in the second set. The Mids used a 7-1 spurt bookended by a service ace from Jordan Llewellyn to take a 10-4 advantage. A kill from Abby Shadwick followed by a service ace from Ava Schabes brought the Raiders within 14-13 but that was as close as they would get. Navy countered with a 6-2 run and pulled away for the 25-20 triumph.
Set 3: Navy 25, Colgate 23
Colgate established an early 4-1 lead but Navy eventually raced in front 12-8 after a pair of kills from Maggie Bodman. The visitors led 15-10 when a kill from Rzeszotarski sparked a 3-0 Colgate response to cut the deficit to 15-13. Another kill from Rzeszotarski pulled the Raiders within 20-19, but Navy held off Colgate's rally and hung on 25-23.
Set 4: Colgate 25, Navy 19
Colgate put the pressure on with the most convincing set of the night. Four straight attack errors by the Mids set up a kill from Frances Torres and Colgate blitzed in front 10-3. The momentum continued from there, with Rachael Martinez and Shadwick serving up aces to extend the lead to 21-13. Another Rzeszotarski kill capped the set with Colgate staying alive.
Set 5: Colgate 15, Navy 12
Navy struck first and led 6-3 early in the winner-take-all fifth set. Kills from Harper Snyder and Rzeszotarski shifted momentum in Colgate's favor and ignited a 6-0 burst that turned a 10-6 deficit into a 12-10 lead capped off by a service ace from Jones. A Navy service error sent Cotterell Court into a frenzy with the Raiders completing the comeback in the fifth set.
UP NEXT
Colgate (9-4, 3-0 Patriot) is back in action Saturday to host Loyola at 4 p.m.
