NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Colgate (2-6) couldn't carry over its momentum from Friday night's win, falling to Villanova (4-4), 3-0, to move to 1-1 on the weekend at the Yale Invitational.
Milan Bayless led the team on both sides of the net, finishing with a team-high 15 kills to go along with eight digs. Abby Shadwick racked up 12 more kills after matching her career-high with 19 kills in Friday night's win over Fairfield.
Maddie Rudolph (4) and Tiana Owens (3) combined for seven blocks but it wasn't enough to slow down Villanova's offense, which finished the match with a .327 hitting percentage. The Raiders closed out the match with a .194 hitting percentage and 40 kills to Villanova's 45.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 | Villanova 25, Colgate 21
Both teams got off to a mild start with back-and-forth action. Villanova enjoyed the first run of the match, a 4-0 burst with back-to-back service aces that pushed its lead to 9-5. A service ace from Sydney Jones capped a 3-0 run for the Raiders, who briefly drew even at 12-12. Villanova took over with a late 3-0 charge and finished off the frame 25-21 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Set 2 | Villanova 25, Colgate 22
The second set couldn't have been more even with neither team leading by more than two points until late in the stage. Kills by Owens and Frances Torres preceded another ace from Jones, who capped off a 5-0 surge to give Colgate an 11-9 lead. Villanova countered with a 7-1 response, taking the lead for good and closing strong down the stretch, 25-22.
Set 3 | Villanova 25, Colgate 19
Colgate couldn't grab the momentum as both teams traded points throughout the early portions of the set. Villanova once again found rhythm in the middle stages of the frame, using a 5-0 run to open a comfortable 17-10 lead. Bayless and Shadwick hammered a pair of kills in a late 4-0 Raider run, but the Wildcats were too much down the stretch and secured the victory.
UP NEXT
Colgate wraps up the Yale Invitational against the host Bulldogs on Sunday at 12 noon.