Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Lehigh Nearly Forces Fifth Set, Falls To Colgate 3-1
10/21/2023 6:06:00 PM | Volleyball
HAMILTON, N.Y. – Lehigh volleyball concluded its road trip on Saturday afternoon, which included matches at Holy Cross and Colgate. The Mountain Hawks squared off against Colgate on Saturday, but ultimately fell at the hands of the top ranked Raiders 3-1.
Lehigh (11-11, 3-8 PL) and Colgate (16-6, 9-2 PL) first met this season on September 17 in Bethlehem, resulting in a 3-0 victory for the Raiders. Saturday's match seemed to be heading in that direction, as Lehigh fell in the opening two sets to the defending Patriot League champions. The Mountain Hawks kept things closer in the first, recording 10 kills to the Raiders' 14. However, Colgate put on a dominant display for their home fans in the second set, highlighted by their impressive .448 hitting percentage in the frame.
After dropping the first two sets of the afternoon, Lehigh came out strong in the third, jumping ahead to an early 13-10 lead that forced Colgate to use a timeout. The Mountain Hawks then increased their lead to five before the Raiders began narrowing the gap. The two teams found themselves tied 20-20 in the closing stages of the frame, but Lehigh was able to jump ahead by three points thanks to an ace from Molly Thompson and several hitting errors on part of the Raiders. Alysia Fingall put the finishing touches on the set when she snuck one past the Colgate defenders to claim the set victory for Lehigh.
The Mountain Hawks gained momentum from their win in set three, and that was certainly evident in the fourth. After Colgate began the set on a 5-0 run, Lehigh began to shift things in their favor. The Raiders maintained a narrow lead for the majority of the fourth until the Mountain Hawks rallied to tie the match at 18 apiece. The two teams battled until they were again tied 24-24, but a Lehigh ball-handling error and kill from Colgate's Gillian Hauschild secured the final points for the Raiders.
"Today's match was much more indicative of the level our team can play," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "We did a better job of slowing down their pins in the last two sets."
Lehigh was led by junior Megan Schulte on offense, who tallied 13 kills off of a .278 hitting percentage. Juniors Makena Smith and Kyleigh Brown led the team in assists (26) and digs (20) respectively. Sophomore Madison McCartney played a significant role on the defensive side of the ball, blocking a total of 11 attacks (one solo, ten assists) on the day.
The Mountain Hawks return to action next Friday as they play host to the American Eagles. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall.
"This week will be no different from any other," said Keckler. "Show up, be disciplined and execute the little things."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Lehigh (11-11, 3-8 PL) and Colgate (16-6, 9-2 PL) first met this season on September 17 in Bethlehem, resulting in a 3-0 victory for the Raiders. Saturday's match seemed to be heading in that direction, as Lehigh fell in the opening two sets to the defending Patriot League champions. The Mountain Hawks kept things closer in the first, recording 10 kills to the Raiders' 14. However, Colgate put on a dominant display for their home fans in the second set, highlighted by their impressive .448 hitting percentage in the frame.
After dropping the first two sets of the afternoon, Lehigh came out strong in the third, jumping ahead to an early 13-10 lead that forced Colgate to use a timeout. The Mountain Hawks then increased their lead to five before the Raiders began narrowing the gap. The two teams found themselves tied 20-20 in the closing stages of the frame, but Lehigh was able to jump ahead by three points thanks to an ace from Molly Thompson and several hitting errors on part of the Raiders. Alysia Fingall put the finishing touches on the set when she snuck one past the Colgate defenders to claim the set victory for Lehigh.
The Mountain Hawks gained momentum from their win in set three, and that was certainly evident in the fourth. After Colgate began the set on a 5-0 run, Lehigh began to shift things in their favor. The Raiders maintained a narrow lead for the majority of the fourth until the Mountain Hawks rallied to tie the match at 18 apiece. The two teams battled until they were again tied 24-24, but a Lehigh ball-handling error and kill from Colgate's Gillian Hauschild secured the final points for the Raiders.
"Today's match was much more indicative of the level our team can play," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "We did a better job of slowing down their pins in the last two sets."
Lehigh was led by junior Megan Schulte on offense, who tallied 13 kills off of a .278 hitting percentage. Juniors Makena Smith and Kyleigh Brown led the team in assists (26) and digs (20) respectively. Sophomore Madison McCartney played a significant role on the defensive side of the ball, blocking a total of 11 attacks (one solo, ten assists) on the day.
The Mountain Hawks return to action next Friday as they play host to the American Eagles. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall.
"This week will be no different from any other," said Keckler. "Show up, be disciplined and execute the little things."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
Lehigh
Colg
Kills
43
55
Errors
24
23
Attempts
127
135
Hitting %
.150
.237
Points
63.0
68.0
Assists
39
49
Aces
5
7
Blocks
15
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned
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