BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate Volleyball fell victim to a formidable Mountain Hawk defensive front and timely offensive execution in a 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-21, 25-16) to Lehigh on Friday evening inside Grace Hall.
The Raiders were held to a .172 hitting percentage on the night, while Lehigh connected at a .409 clip and controlled the net with 11 team blocks. Tiana Owens paced the Colgate attack with a team-high nine kills, followed by Aubrey Anders and Morgan Reese, who posted five kills apiece.
Defensively, Hannah Langton anchored the back row with a match-high 12 digs. At the net, Jordyn Moore and Stella Labrecque recorded one block assist each.
Coach Baker's Comments
"We caught a very hot Lehigh team who outplayed us in every skill set. I need to do a better job getting this young team ready for the league. We will watch film and get ready for another tough road match."
Set 1 | Lehigh 25, Colgate 18
Lehigh set the tone with the first three points of the match and built a 10-5 cushion. Colgate trimmed the deficit to three following a 3-0 spurt capped by a Julia Headley service ace. Later in the frame, the Raiders again pulled within striking distance behind an Owens kill and a Gabrielle Emch service ace. The Mountain Hawks countered by taking four of the final five points to claim the opening set.
Set 2 | Lehigh 25, Colgate 21
The second set featured back-and-forth action throughout. Colgate captured its first lead at 9-8 on a powerful swing from Moore. Trailing mid-set, the Raiders mounted a 3-0 run – highlighted by an Owens kill and service ace—to jump back ahead, 16-15. Headley later leveled the set at 18-18 with a clutch kill, but Lehigh answered with a set-ending 7-3 run to seal the second frame.
Set 3 | Lehigh 25, Colgate 16
Lehigh jumped out to a fast start in the third, opening a 10-6 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Anders trimmed Colgate's deficit to 12-9, but the Mountain Hawks responded with a 4-1 surge to extend their lead to 16-10. Kills from Anders and Reese brought Colgate within five at 21-16 before Lehigh closed out the match by capturing four of the final five points.
Up Next
Colgate (7-7, 2-3 Patriot) looks to rebound quickly on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Lewisburg, Pa., to take on Bucknell. First serve is set for 4 p.m.
