Colgate Volleyball sweeps Lafayette

HAMILTON » Clean play and an aggressive offensive lifted the Colgate volleyball program to a 3-0 sweep of Lafayette on Sunday evening.

With the win, the Raiders extend to a six-match win streak behind a 7-1 record on the year as they begin to set their sights on the Patriot League Tournament.

In their impressive first set start, the Raiders gained a 15-11 advantage midway through after Alli Lowe capped a 5-1 run with a center court kill. A clean game that highlighted a .588 team hitting percentage, Colgate outscored the Leopards 7-3 to close out the set behind a flashy kill by Athena Leota for a 25-17 victory.

The second game opened point-for-point until the first ace of the match was landed by Lowe. It was followed by a block assist by Harper Snyder and Libby Overmyer at the net to put Colgate

ahead 5-3 early, effectively igniting the bench. Clean kills sent to the floor as the Raiders hit the midway point on a three-point run for a 1513 advantage. Although they battled through a game-high of eight tie scores and four lead changes, the Raiders were able to whittle any Lafayette momentum to claim the 25-19 victory.

With their sights set on the sweep, Colgate’s third game featured another pair of aces and big blocks. In another early point-for-point battle, Lafayette looked to force its way back into the match, until a fiery solo block by Snyder lit the Colgate squad at a 13-12 advantage. The Raiders finally inched ahead by three midway through at 16-13 with the Lafayette touch out of bounds, before they went ahead by four with the block by Leota and Sophie Thompson. After a 5-1 run, another Leota crosscourt kill to the back corner cracked Colgate into the 20s carrying a fourpoint edge.

Even with the space for Colgate late in the game, Lafayette battled back within one at 2322, but a center court kill by Lowe lifted the Raiders to match point. It was Thompson who then closed it out with a swift swing to seal the sweep in the league matchup.

After the cancellation of the Raiders’ two-game series against Bucknell, they have a bye the weekend of March 26-28. Pending no additions to the schedule, the Raiders prepare for the 2020-21 Patriot League Tournament on April 2-3.