EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette volleyball team fell in five sets to Colgate on Friday night in Kirby Sports Center.

The Leopards were led by junior Leanna Deegan who totaled a team-high 14 kills. Junior Grace Tulevech and freshman Gracie Gibson each totaled seven kills and freshman Katie Weston notched a team-high 16 digs.

Colgate (6-1 PL) jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead before Lafayette (2-4), sparked by a kill from Deegan, went on a three-point run to pull the Leopards ahead by one, 4-3. The two sides found themselves tied back up again at five before the Leopards went on a five-point run to pull ahead 10-5. From there, the Leopards were able to stay in the lead, earning the first set victory 25-17.

The second set saw Colgate storming out to a 21-10 lead. An attack error by the Raiders sparked a five-point run by the Leopards to pull the score to 21-15. Despite the Leopards run to attempt to close the scoring gap, Colgate took the set two victory, 25-16, to tie the match up at one set apiece.

After trading points until both sides were tied at six, an attack error by the Raiders sparked a three-point run by the Leopards to put them ahead 9-6. A few points later, a five-point run pulled them ahead 14-10. The Raiders tried to battle back but it was all Leopards for the remainder of the third set as a six-point run put them up by nine.  

Colgate battled back, countering with a four-point run of its own but with the score 24-19, it was sophomore Grace Steurer that would secure the third set win with a kill, off a set from Jenna Bailey, and put the Leopards up in the match 2-1.
The Raiders dominated the fourth set, winning 25-15 to force a decisive fifth set.  

Two attack errors by the Leopards and two kills by the Raiders put Colgate up 4-0 in the fifth set. Kills by Deegan and junior Madi Wahrmund and a service ace by Steurer put the Leopards back within one, 4-3, but Colgate was able to regain control of the set, going up 13-7 before closing out the set, 15-8, to walk away with the match victory.   

The Maroon and White will next travel to Hamilton, New York, on Sunday as they are set to take on Colgate in the second game of the home-and-home series. The match is set to start at 4 p.m.