HAMILTON, N.Y. - Lafayette volleyball dropped a 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 28-26) decision at Colgate on Friday night.
The hosts began the first set by jumping out to an early 6-1 lead. An attack error and
Carol Ulichney kill pulled the Leopards within three, but the potent offense of Colgate took command of the set. Beginning with a kill courtesy of Lal Akin, the Raiders captured a seven-point spurt (14-3) that saw kills from four different players.
Jada Aksu started a short Leopard run later in the set with a kill of her own, followed by a kill and service ace from
Sophia Wilson and Ulichney, respectively, cutting the deficit to 16-10. The two teams traded points throughout the remainder of the set before Colgate closed out the set 25-14 with a five-point stretch.
Colgate proceeded to gain a 14-6 advantage in set two, with kills from Tiana Owens (4) and Milan Bayless (2), propelling the Raiders ahead. A run of seven-straight points followed shortly after, helping to secure a win in the set. The Maroon and White's scoring runs were minimized in the set by a Colgate defense that held Lafayette to 11 points. Aksu recorded one of her team-high seven kills in the set, while
Abby Nicholson chipped in with two kills. During the set, five different Leopards recorded points (Aksu, Nicholson, Wilson,
Destiny McKenzie and
Ally Feczko).
The final set of the match started with a five-point stretch from Lafayette, jumping ahead 7-3 after 10 points. The Raiders struggled to cut into the Leopard lead for a majority of the set, unable to create points with their offensive opportunities. The Maroon and White held a 21-15 before the reigning Patriot League champions came alive, with Colgate capturing nine of the next 12 points to knot the score at 24 apiece. The hosts won the match after back-to-back kills from Owens wrapped up the set.
The Leopards re-take the court on Saturday, staying on the road for a meeting with Army at 4 p.m.
To keep up with the Lafayette volleyball program, follow its social media pages.
X/@LafColVBall | Instagram/@lafayette_vb | Facebook/GoLeopards
