HAMILTON — Colgate rode the hot hand to its fourth straight win, sweeping Navy 3-0 on Saturday afternoon to complete a stellar weekend of Patriot League volleyball at Cotterell Court.
Libby Overmyer led Colgate's offense for the second straight night, registering a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs to go along with a .409 hitting percentage. Milan Bayless added 10 kills, while first-year Tiana Owens landed nine kills against no errors for an .818 hitting clip.
Greta Hoogstra posted five kills and two block assists, leading Colgate's defensive attack that saw Lal Akin, Frances Torres, and Hoogstra finish with two blocks apiece. The Raiders' defense held Navy to a .112 hitting percentage while Colgate capped off the sweep with a .308 mark.
COACH BAKER'S COMMENTS
"We were really efficient. Our setters did a nice job finding splits in the block. Our middles were involved which opened up seams and Libby put on a show. It was a really good hitting night for us. We've been happy with how we've played in the league so far but we have a long road ahead of us. We need to lean on our leadership and continue to have good weeks of practice."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 | Colgate 25, Navy 20
Navy held an early 8-6 lead before Colgate turned it on. Kills from Owens, Overmyer, and Hoogstra capped a 6-0 run that gave the Raiders the lead for good, 12-8. Navy closed within one point multiple times in the back-and-forth frame. It was 19-18 when Rachael Martinez's ace sparked a 3-0 Colgate run to give the Raiders breathing room. Overmyer's kill sealed the first set, 25-20.
Set 2 | Colgate 25, Navy 19
Colgate once again took charge in the middle stages of the set. A kill by Overmyer ignited a 4-0 surge that expanded the Raider lead to 14-11. Colgate's offense was firing on all cylinders with a match-high .316 hitting clip. Owens and Overmyer were dominant down the stretch, along with defensive play from Akin and Hoogstra, giving Colgate a 25-19 victory.
Set 3 | Colgate 25, Navy 15
Akin landed a service ace and a kill in an early 7-0 run for the Raiders, who raced out to an early 8-2 lead. Overmyer once again took over with three straight kills, followed by a service ace from Martinez in a 4-0 burst and Colgate ran away with the final frame. Owens finished off the 3-0 sweep with back-to-back kills to give the Raiders the triumph.
UP NEXT
Colgate (6-8, 4-0 Patriot) carries its four-game winning streak into next weekend when the Raiders host Holy Cross on Friday at 7 p.m. and then travel to West Point for a match at Army on Sunday at 2 p.m.
