Kirby Sports Center was quite the sight to see on Sunday night — or not see, once the lights went out during the volleyball team’s Senior Day match against Colgate University.
“I’ve been coaching a long time, and I’ve never had a power outage at any point in a match,” head coach CJ Werneke said.
Lafayette College’s second partial power outage in as many weeks forced an extended delay as players relocated to Phillipsburg High School just across the river to finish their match.
New scenery did the Leopards (2-14 Patriot League, 4-20 overall) no favors, however, as they fell to the Raiders (12-3 Patriot League, 17-9 overall) in three sets after losing 3-2 to visiting Army one day prior.
Lafayette looked poised early in Saturday’s contest, collecting a 25-23 victory in the first set and jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the second frame against the Black Knights (11-4 Patriot, 17-7 overall).
Army stripped control from the hosts, however, ripping off an 8-0 run and withstanding a five-point Leopard rally to secure a 25-21 triumph in set two. Army’s hot streak continued into the third frame, as the Black Knights took an early 7-3 lead en route to 25-16 victory.
“We weren’t being super aggressive, weren’t capitalizing,” sophomore outside hitter Destiny McKenzie said. “We know we’re capable of getting there, but actually doing it is another thing.”
The Maroon and White battled back, taking Army to 22-22 in set four. This time, the Leopards came up big, taking each of the last three points to force a decisive fifth set.
Set five saw Lafayette force seven consecutive ties without gaining a lead before Army eked out a 3-0 run, holding off a two-point Leopard rally to take the tiebreaking set 15-11.
Sunday’s match started off on a high note for the Leopards as they scrapped their way to an early 3-2 advantage in front of a raucous home section. However, the Raiders stole the fun all too soon, ripping off a seven-point run to take a 9-3 lead they would not relinquish, ultimately taking the 25-17 victory.
“We let them dictate how we played,” McKenzie said, noting Colgate’s comparatively faster offensive pace. “We dug a hole for ourselves when we could have just slowed things down.”
The power outage struck just before set two, delaying action by two hours.
“It was such a crazy experience,” McKenzie said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Now in New Jersey, the Leopards forced 12 ties and six lead changes to take a 21-20 lead in the second frame. Their Colgate counterparts got the last laugh, however, rallying late to steal a 25-22 victory from the Leopards’ grasp.
“That’s been the goal all year,” Werneke said, emphasizing the importance of reaching a 20-20 score. “Let’s get that 20-all, have that opportunity and figure out how to finish.”
Another strong start from the Leopards gave way to more midgame doldrums in set three. Colgate quickly turned a 4-4 deadlock into a 14-5 advantage and breezed its way to a 25-14 clincher, extending Lafayette’s losing streak to nine.
The Leopards will face conference leader American University (14-1 Patriot League, 21-4 overall) at home on Friday before wrapping up their season at bottom-dwelling Holy Cross (2-13 Patriot League, 8-23 overall) on Saturday. Eliminated from playoff contention, McKenzie said she plans to soak up her final moments with her senior serve-mates.
“I might as well have fun, playing with them for the last time,” McKenzie said. “They’re definitely going to be missed.”