Friday, November 22
Hamilton, N.Y.
5:30 PM
Lehigh University
16-13,8-8Patriot
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#1 Colgate University
18-10,14-2Patriot
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Lehigh
25
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Colgate
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Photo by: Olivia Hokanson
No. 6 Lehigh Falls In Four Sets To No. 1 Colgate In Patriot League Semifinal
11/22/2024 9:04:00 PM | Volleyball
HAMILTON, N.Y. – No. 6 Lehigh volleyball took the court against No. 1 Colgate University in the Patriot League Championship semifinals on Friday evening. The Mountain Hawks nearly took the defending champions to a fifth set, but ultimately fell in four sets to the Raiders on their home court.
"I am very proud of the work this team put into this season," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They worked hard today and never gave up."
Lehigh (16-13, 8-8 PL) found themselves in Friday's semifinal against Colgate (18-10, 14-2 PL) after a historic quarterfinal win over No. 3 American on Tuesday. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Eagles in five sets to secure their first postseason victory since 2014.
The Mountain Hawks challenged the Raiders right away, gaining an 8-6 lead in the early going. The Raiders kept the match within reach, keeping their deficit within one to two points. With the score tied at 10-10, Lehigh conducted a 6-2 run to give themselves a much-needed cushion in a hard-fought opening frame. The Raiders eventually rallied back to tie the match at 20 apiece, but a 5-0 Lehigh run gave the Mountain Hawks an opening set victory to silence the home crowd.
The second set began with Lehigh and Colgate trading points with one another, eventually resulting in a 9-7 lead for the Mountain Hawks. However, the defending Patriot League champions turned up their intensity, scoring six unanswered to spark their offense. The Raiders hit the bar more efficiently than the Mountain Hawks down the stretch, resulting in a 25-16 win to tie the match 1-1.
The Raiders made a statement in set three, winning by a dominant 25-12 score. Colgate's hitting percentage was .303 in the frame as opposed to Lehigh's -0.56 and the Raiders tallied 13 kills to Lehigh's nine. All of a sudden, the Mountain Hawks were on the brink of elimination.
Needing a win in set four to stay alive, Lehigh simply wouldn't go away without a fight. Despite trailing 19-14 towards the middle of the set, the Mountain Hawks fought back to tie the period at 20 apiece. Lehigh nearly forced a fifth and final set, but a net violation gave Colgate a 25-23 set four win and their fifth-straight Patriot League championship game appearance.
Senior Megan Schulte led the Mountain Hawks on the offensive end with ten kills. Senior Makena Smith and sophomore Abby Felkai each tallied 16 assists to lead the team. On the defensive side, senior Kyleigh Brown led the team with 15 digs while junior Madison McCartney's six total blocks paced the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh's four seniors leave the program as one of the most decorated classes in program history, as each of them have their names etched in the record book. Schulte finishes her career with 1,145 kills, the tenth most in school history. Smith's 2,896 career assists are the fourth most in program history. Brown concludes her Lehigh career with 1,660 digs, the third most in team history. Emily Stewart became the program's all-time leader in block assists with 435 and finishes her career tied for second in total blocks with 492.
"The seniors are a group that we will miss dearly and I am honored I had the ability to be in this journey with them," said Keckler. "What they have established and the legacy they have left will be felt for years to come."
The Mountain Hawks now set their sights on the offseason.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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"I am very proud of the work this team put into this season," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "They worked hard today and never gave up."
Lehigh (16-13, 8-8 PL) found themselves in Friday's semifinal against Colgate (18-10, 14-2 PL) after a historic quarterfinal win over No. 3 American on Tuesday. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Eagles in five sets to secure their first postseason victory since 2014.
The Mountain Hawks challenged the Raiders right away, gaining an 8-6 lead in the early going. The Raiders kept the match within reach, keeping their deficit within one to two points. With the score tied at 10-10, Lehigh conducted a 6-2 run to give themselves a much-needed cushion in a hard-fought opening frame. The Raiders eventually rallied back to tie the match at 20 apiece, but a 5-0 Lehigh run gave the Mountain Hawks an opening set victory to silence the home crowd.
The second set began with Lehigh and Colgate trading points with one another, eventually resulting in a 9-7 lead for the Mountain Hawks. However, the defending Patriot League champions turned up their intensity, scoring six unanswered to spark their offense. The Raiders hit the bar more efficiently than the Mountain Hawks down the stretch, resulting in a 25-16 win to tie the match 1-1.
The Raiders made a statement in set three, winning by a dominant 25-12 score. Colgate's hitting percentage was .303 in the frame as opposed to Lehigh's -0.56 and the Raiders tallied 13 kills to Lehigh's nine. All of a sudden, the Mountain Hawks were on the brink of elimination.
Needing a win in set four to stay alive, Lehigh simply wouldn't go away without a fight. Despite trailing 19-14 towards the middle of the set, the Mountain Hawks fought back to tie the period at 20 apiece. Lehigh nearly forced a fifth and final set, but a net violation gave Colgate a 25-23 set four win and their fifth-straight Patriot League championship game appearance.
Senior Megan Schulte led the Mountain Hawks on the offensive end with ten kills. Senior Makena Smith and sophomore Abby Felkai each tallied 16 assists to lead the team. On the defensive side, senior Kyleigh Brown led the team with 15 digs while junior Madison McCartney's six total blocks paced the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh's four seniors leave the program as one of the most decorated classes in program history, as each of them have their names etched in the record book. Schulte finishes her career with 1,145 kills, the tenth most in school history. Smith's 2,896 career assists are the fourth most in program history. Brown concludes her Lehigh career with 1,660 digs, the third most in team history. Emily Stewart became the program's all-time leader in block assists with 435 and finishes her career tied for second in total blocks with 492.
"The seniors are a group that we will miss dearly and I am honored I had the ability to be in this journey with them," said Keckler. "What they have established and the legacy they have left will be felt for years to come."
The Mountain Hawks now set their sights on the offseason.
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
47
55
Errors
26
16
Attempts
158
150
Hitting %
.133
.260
Points
60.5
73.0
Assists
43
49
Aces
5
7
Blocks
8.5
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
DS/L
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/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
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MB
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