HAMILTON — Colgate Volleyball (9-9, 7-1 Patriot) rallied to win the final three sets and knock off surging Bucknell (15-2, 7-1 Patriot) 3-1 in a first-place battle Sunday afternoon at Cotterell Court.
With the win Colgate and Bucknell now share first place with 7-1 Patriot League records halfway through the league's regular season slate. The Raiders snapped Bucknell's nation-leading 15-match winning streak and avenged their lone home loss of the 2023 season.
Colgate's defense was on full display throughout the match and Lal Akin keyed the success with a career-high nine of the Raiders 22 blocks in the contest. Tiana Owens continued to shine offensively, leading the team with 13 kills. Greta Hoogstra added five kills and a team-best .400 hitting percentage.
COACH BAKER'S COMMENTS
"This was a great team win. Our defensive effort was special which led to some great offense. I'm very proud of them. Bucknell came into the match on a 15-match win streak and is a very good team. We have a lot of respect for them. League wins are never easy. I'm excited to watch the team grow as the season progresses."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 | Bucknell 25, Colgate 15
Bucknell took control with an early 8-0 run after a pair of errors gave the Bison a 9-2 lead. The hot-hitting visitors posted a .519 percentage and carried their offense to the opening victory. Hoogstra led the team with two kills but Colgate hit just .083 as a team in the 10-point decision.
Set 2 | Colgate 25, Bucknell 20
The Bison built a 4-0 lead before Owens flipped the switch with a pair of kills in a 7-0 Colgate burst that gave Colgate the lead for good. The first-year landed another kill in a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Milan Bayless to expand the lead to 18-11. Colgate's block was on display, with four rejections in the frame carrying the Raiders to the 25-20 Set 2 triumph.
Set 3 | Colgate 25, Bucknell 14
Owens once again sparked the offense with a pair of kills in a dominant 10-1 Raider surge. Bayless capped it off with a kill down the line and Colgate established an early 10-3 advantage. Frances Torres made an impact with two kills in a 3-0 run that stretched the lead to 17-6. Colgate's defense took over down the stretch, finishing with four more blocks to run away with the third set.
Set 4 | Colgate 25, Bucknell 14
Colgate started fast and never looked back in the fourth set. A block from Hoogstra and Torres capped an 8-4 start. Bucknell closed within 11-8 but the Raiders took charge with a 7-0 scoring barrage that featured a pair of blocks from Akin. Colgate's defense once again stood tall and the Raiders maintained control all the way to the finish line.
UP NEXT
Colgate remains in Hamilton for two games this week, starting Wednesday when the Raiders host Binghamton at 7 p.m. for their final non-conference game of the regular season.
