Colgate Volleyball took on Patriot League front runner American University on Saturday, followed by a Sunday match against Loyola University- Maryland. The Raiders fell to American, but rallied to win their match against Loyola with a three-set sweep. 

After this weekend’s play, Colgate holds an 11-15 record overall and is 9-5 in Patriot League play.

American came out strong in the first and second sets against the Raiders Saturday, securing a 25-17 victory in the first set and a 25-15 win in the second. 

In the third set of the match, Colgate took a 15-12 lead, but a kill from American started a 5-0 run for the Eagles. The Eagles then pulled ahead with a 17-15 advantage. The Raiders fought and stayed in contention with the score at 20-18, but another 5-0 run from American gave the Eagles the 25-18 win and the 3-0 sweep. 

Junior outside hitter Kathleen Harris led the Raiders with 12 kills and had only three attacking errors during the match, while first-year outside hitter Katie Stansbury added seven kills. Senior setter Jackie Macy posted 12 assists, and junior defensive specialist Madison McAndrews added 12 digs. 

American posted a .411 hitting percentage, while Colgate posted a .139 hitting percentage for the match. The Eagles currently hold a 15-0 record for Patriot League play. 

On Sunday afternoon, the Raiders defeated Loyola in a 3-0 sweep. The Raiders cruised to a victory in the first set and kept the Greyhounds under 10 with a final score of 25-9. They held their momentum in the second set to secure the 25-17 win. 

In the third set, Loyola took an early 3-1 lead, but an attacking error from the Greyhounds sparked a 5-0 run for the Raiders that helped them secure a 6-3 lead. The Raiders did not let up and pushed their advantage to 19-13 with an 8-4 run. 

With the score at 23-16, Loyola rallied with four straight points to bring the score within three at 23-20. But Colgate answered with a kill from Harris and a kill from sophomore setter Lauren Sanderson for the 25-20 victory and the sweep. 

“We had a much better match this time versus Loyola. Jackie set the tone with her serve, which carried into other areas of our game. Our overall defensive mentality was stronger as well. We’ve got to get to work over the next two weeks as we prepare for the Patriot League Tournament,” head coach Ryan Baker said. 

Harris and junior outside and right side hitter Katie Stebbins posted eight kills each. Stansbury finished with seven kills, while sophomore middle blocker Noel Kennebeck and first year middle blocker Jaelah Hutchison added five kills apiece. Hutchison pitched in on all of the Raiders’ blocks throughout the match, with four solo blocks and five block assists. Macy posted 19 assists and three service aces, while Harris and McAndrews added 10 digs each. 

This weekend the Raiders finish regular season play on Saturday, with a 5 p.m. match against Lafayette at Cotterell Court. As part of the team’s senior night, seniors Katie Fauntleroy, Jackie Macy, Kate Reilly and Brooke

Shupryt-Knoop will be honored before the match.