LAWRENCE, Kan. – Colgate Volleyball is prepped and ready for a date with No. 12 Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

Setting the Scene
Colgate and Kansas meet for the second time this season in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night. The Jayhawks bested the Raiders 3-0 on Sept. 1 in Durham, N.C., with set victories of 25-19, 25-17, and 25-15. Milan Bayless led Colgate with 10 kills. This will be the second all-time meeting between the two programs. Colgate, making its eighth overall and fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, is 3-9 against current members of the Big 12 with all three victories coming against West Virginia. The Raiders knocked off the Mountaineers 3-2 last year at Cotterell Court on Sept. 7, 2023.  Patriot League Championships

• 2024 – 19-10, 14-2 Patriot
• 2023 – 22-8, 13-3 Patriot
• 2022 – 24-6, 14-2 Patriot
• 2021 – 18-10, 13-3 Patriot
• 2012 – 17-14, 12-2 Patriot
• 1999 – 17-18, 9-3 Patriot
• 1996 – 27-7, 6-0 Patriot
• 1995 – 19-9, 4-2 Patriot
• 1990 – 21-6, 5-1 Patriot

NCAA Tournament History
The Raiders inched closer to the program's first-ever NCAA tournament win in a three-set battle in the first round at Creighton last year. Colgate went toe-to-toe in all three sets, dropping 25-19, 25-23, and 25-20 frames – the most total points allowed by the Bluejays at home. Colgate is 0-7 in NCAA tournament matches. 
 

• 2023 – at Creighton – L, 0-3
• 2022 – at Pittsburgh – L, 0-3
• 2021 – at Wisconsin – L, 0-3
• 2012 – at Texas – L, 0-3
• 1999 – at Pacific – L, 0-3
• 1996 – at Wisconsin – L, 0-3
• 1995 – vs Siena (NCAA Play-In) – L, 1-3

Patriot League Champs
Colgate became the third program in Patriot League volleyball history to win four-straight league championships and the first since 2017. The Raiders claimed their ninth overall PL championship, second-most of any team in the conference, including their fifth title under head coach Ryan Baker. In a five-set marathon, Colgate won the final two sets to come back and beat fourth-seeded Army in the title match. 

Bayless Brings Home Patriot League Rookie of the Year
Despite Colgate's veteran squad, sophomore Milan Bayless has been the team's standout this season and she was honored with Patriot League Player of the Year honors – the first sophomore to earn the league's top honor since 2016. Bayless becomes Colgate's sixth different player to earn the Patriot League's Player of the Year and the first since Julia Kurowski earned the top honor in 2022. The La Mesa, Calif., native leads the team in kills (333), averaging 3.26 kills per frame along with a .250 hitting percentage. 

Shadwick Racking up the Honors
Senior outside hitter Abby Shadwick will go down as one of the most decorated players in Colgate Volleyball history. She is a three-time Patriot League champion, three-time Academic All-Patriot League selection, and three-time All-Patriot League First Team honoree. On Wednesday, she was named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row - becoming Colgate's first-ever two-time top league scholar.

Duo on the Outside
Milan Bayless leads the team in kills (333), averaging 3.26 kills per frame along with a .250 hitting percentage. Abby Shadwick was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP after posting 41 kills (4.56 kps) and a .316 hitting percentage with four service aces, 24 digs (2.67 dps), and five blocks. Shadwick and Bayless were both All-League First Team honorees. The duo has combined for 635 kills, 103 blocks, and eight double-doubles. 

All-League Raiders
First-year right side hitter Tiana Owens and senior setter Sydney Jones earned All-Patriot League Second Team notice. Owens, a one-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, posted a .263 hitting percentage on the season with 153 kills and 45 block assists. Jones contributed to Colgate's league-best .240 hitting percentage with 585 assists, good for sixth-best in the league. 

Stacking Wins on Wins
Colgate at 19 wins is chasing its third consecutive 20-win season and fifth such campaign since Baker took over the helm in 2012. Since 2019 Colgate is 115-44 overall with at least 18 wins each year excluding the shortened 2020-21 season in which the Raiders finished 8-2 overall. During that time the Raiders have clinched four consecutive Patriot League regular season and tournament championships.Patriot League Prowess
Colgate is 76-12 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2019 season. The Raiders have at least 13 league wins each year since 2019, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season when they finished 7-1 in conference. Since 2019, Colgate has secured at least a share of the regular season title each year, including the last two years as the outright regular-season champion and four consecutive PL championships. The Raiders are coming off their ninth overall title, the second most of any team in the conference.