HAMILTON – Colgate knocked off West Virginia in a five-set thriller for its first win over a Big 12 opponent on the same night the team unveiled its 2022 Patriot League championship banner during a historic home-opening Thursday night at Cotterell Court.
The Raiders kicked off the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament with their third straight victory over the Mountaineers, who were members of the Big East for the first two decisions. Colgate also extended its home winning streak to 25 matches dating back to 2021.
"Tonight was a very good team win," said Head Coach Ryan Baker. "This was our first BIG 12 win in program history which means a lot on many different fronts. We were nervous in the early part of the match which resulted in some uncommon errors for us. West Virginia is a physical, hard hitting team who challenged our block and defense all match. I was proud that we never gave up and just kept battling. The home crowd really lifted this team up."
In her first match back after tearing her ACL nearly a year ago, Libby Overmyer lit up the visiting Mountaineers with a team-best 14 kills on her way to a .379 hitting percentage. Abby Shadwick knocked down 13 kills and hit .448 in the home opener, while Sophie Thompson posted another well-rounded line with nine kills, six block assists, and a pair of service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Colgate 27, West Virginia 25
Colgate rode the momentum of the home crowd to jump out to an early 9-4 lead, but West Virginia closed the gap quickly for a back-and-forth first set. A kill from junior outside hitter Hailey Green gave the visitors a 20-17 lead, but the Raiders won seven of the last 10 points capped by an ace from fifth-year middle blocker Thompson to take set one.
Set 2: West Virginia 25, Colgate 20
The Mountaineers successfully curbed the momentum with a quick 4-0 run to start the second set. Colgate hung around but two consecutive kills from West Virginia put the Raiders down 17-10. The home team battled back to within two, but an ace from sophomore middle blocker Tierney Jackson sealed the second frame for the Mountaineers.
Set 3: Colgate 25, West Virginia 23
In a set that saw no lead larger than three, a 9-7 Colgate advantage shifted the momentum in the Raiders' favor. The teams traded blows until a kill from senior opposite hitter Gillian Hauschild put the ball in junior setter Sydney Jones' hands who finished off the third for the Raiders.
Set 4: West Virginia 28, Colgate 26
An early four-point run gave an 11-7 advantage to West Virginia, who would continue to stave off Colgate and build a 15-10 lead. The Raiders clawed back to within two, but two Mountaineer kills and a Colgate attack error pushed the match to a fifth set.
Set 5: Colgate 15, West Virginia 12
Three straight blocks put Colgate on the board as part of a 4-0 run that evened the score at six all. The Raiders ripped off another 5-1 run to earn a 5-1 lead, and after a block from first-year outside hitter Frances Torres the momentum in Cotterell Court began to shift. Three points later, senior outside hitter Overmyer spiked her 14th kill of the game to seal the win for Colgate.
UP NEXT
Colgate (3-4) continues play in the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament on Friday against UAlbany at 6 p.m. before a bout with in-state rival Cornell at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
