The Lafayette volleyball team (7-13 overall, 4-9 Patriot League) lost both games of a doubleheader in New York last weekend, falling to Colgate 0-3 and to Army 1-3. The Leopards faced tough competition, as the Raiders and Black Knights are first and second in the Patriot League standings, respectively.
“Playing the top two teams in the conference can be very difficult, since they limit their unforced errors, meaning they rarely give us any ‘free’ points. This means we really have to earn every point we score,” sophomore setter Anna Penman said.
In Friday’s affair, the Leopards fell to Colgate in three sets (25-19, 25-14, 25-20). The teams traded points early on until the Leopards went on a 6-0 run. However, the Raiders went on two 5-0 runs and captured the first set, 25-19.
In the second set, the teams went point-for-point until Colgate went on a 6-1 run, taking a 15-9 lead. From there, it was all Colgate. They would go on to win 10 of the next 15 points and seal the second set, 25-14.
A comeback was in sight for Lafayette in the third, but ultimately Colgate was able to carry the momentum from the previous sets to solidify the victory.
Freshman outside hitter Carol Ulichney had a great day finishing with 10 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Abby Nieporte finished with eight kills. Senior middle blocker Mataya Megson had six kills, while senior outside hitter Grace Steurer added four. Junior setter Alyssa Vitale led the team in the assist column with 27.
On Saturday, the team split the first two sets with Army but eventually fell 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 22-25,17-25).
After dropping a close first set, the Leopards came back poised for redemption. In the second set, the Leopards came through with a victory.
Trailing 14-9 in the third set, the Leopards came roaring back, winning the next eight of 11 points and tying it up at 17 apiece. The teams traded points until the Leopards were down 23-22, Army was ultimately able to carry out the set win. Lafayette was unable to come back in the fourth, falling once again.
“I believe this was the first game where we played at a consistently high level the whole time, no matter if we were winning or losing,” said Penman, who finished the Army matchup with a double-double of 35 assists, 15 digs and two service aces.
Nieporte led the way with 13 kills and two service aces, while junior middle blocker Gracie Gibson finished with 10. Steurer, Megson and Ulichney finished with seven kills each. Junior libero Katie Weston had 20 digs and two service aces of her own.
The Leopards have two home matches this weekend as they host Loyola University of Maryland tonight at 7 p.m. for their Athlete Ally Match and the United States Naval Academy tomorrow at 4 p.m. for their Senior Day.
