The Colgate volleyball team capitalized on a light weekend, sweeping Bucknell on the road on Saturday afternoon. The win pushed Colgate’s record in Patriot League matches to 7-3 with only four remain­ing tilts until the start of the playoffs on November 19.

It was truly a team effort by the Raiders at Davis Gym. Colgate stayed in system to open up options for offense. Senior Mau­reen Colligan and junior Michelle Mc­Carthy tallied nine kills apiece while first-year Diane Seely and sophomore standout Lindsay Young posted eight each. Senior Kaylee Dougherty also counted nine kills and 35 assists. Sophomore Caitlin Cremin held the defense together with nine digs in addition to her four service aces.

Despite the impressive win, Colgate started the first set slowly, falling behind 9-5 with three Bison kills to rub it in. Once Colgate found its footing, however, the Raiders burst into a 12-4 run over Bucknell to gain a 17-13 lead. Cremin and sophomore Lexi Finger both con­tributed to the run from behind the line, and Dougherty and Young swung for two kills apiece. Bucknell crept back up on the Raiders and the score hit 20-18, but Dougherty and McCarthy shut it down with bouncing kills to end the first set at 25-21.

The second set slowed down play and the Raiders once again fell behind the Bison. Another inspired spurt of energy brought Colgate back into the game. Sev­en straight points brought the 12-8 defi­cit to a 15-12 advantage for the Raiders. Sophomore Allie Dyer contributed with an ace, while Seely tallied a kill during the run. Bucknell fought back and once again grabbed the lead at 20-19, but the Raid­ers caught up and shot ahead with a 6-2 run to end the game at 25-22 and give the two-set advantage to Colgate.

It was clear that the Raider persever­ance had left the Bison with little mental strength left to use. The third set opened up to a 20-9 decisive advantage for Col­gate. After stumbling through a few plays, Young came through for the Raiders and finished the game with a kill. The final score reflected a 25-17 set win and match sweep for Colgate.

“This was a really good road win,” Head Coach Ryan Baker said. “Catie Cr­emin was outstanding tonight for us in all of her skill sets. Mo (Maureen) Colligan had a breakout night. The team played co­hesively in what can be a tough environ­ment. They should feel good about how they played.”

The Raiders hit the road again next weekend when they face Lafayette on Friday night and Lehigh the following afternoon.

Contact Emma Barge at [email protected].