LAWRENCE, Kan. – Another bright night on the biggest stage saw Colgate Volleyball give No. 12 Kansas all it could handle in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night inside the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. The Raiders dropped a 3-0 decision to the third-seeded Jayhawks by a total of 12 points. 

Abby Shadwick, like she has so many times in her collegiate career, paced everybody on the floor with a match-high 13 kills. Tiana Owens and Milan Bayless made their presence known with seven kills apiece.

Colgate hit .178 in the match and held Kansas to a .256 clip. Four blocks each from Lal Akin and Owens led the team along with 15 digs from fifth-year senior Taylor Cigna. Only seven teams in the country held the 12th-ranked Jayhawks to a lower hitting percentage this season.

COACH BAKER'S COMMENTS

"First I'd like to thank Kansas University and their staff. This has been a first-class event since we arrived here. Their fanbase is special and the environment was special. This is what you want your team to experience in the NCAA tournament. I'm so proud of the fight our team has shown. We did a great job battling a well-coached, disciplined Kansas team. They're 25-4 for a reason. A testament to all of our players – we put on a great show for everyone in attendance. We certainly would have liked to have won the match but we have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm proud of everything we brought to this environment tonight."

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set 1 | Kansas 25, Colgate 18
The first set was full of momentum swings. Kansas used the home crowd to fuel an early 7-0 lead before Colgate settled in. Owens lit the flame for Colgate with four of the first five points for the Raiders. The first-year's fourth kill capped a 6-0 run with the score 9-8 in favor of the Jayhawks. Kansas flipped the momentum with six of the next eight points to open a 19-12 lead. Colgate used a late 3-0 mini run thanks to a kill in the middle by Akin, but the home team closed out the opening set, 25-18. 

Set 2 | Kansas 25, Colgate 23
The dynamic duo of Bayless and Shadwick was on full display in Set 2. They had three of the five kills in a 5-1 spurt that gave the Raiders an early 9-8 lead. Colgate got it rolling with another 5-1 burst sparked by back-to-back kills from Frances Torres handing the Raiders a 21-17 lead. Another kill from Shadwick pushed Colgate in front 23-21 but Kansas rallied around the home crowd, scoring the final four points to claim a 2-0 lead in the match. 

Set 3 | Kansas 25, Colgate 22
Kansas used a big 6-0 surge to take early control with a 9-3 advantage and then the home team carried a pair of 3-0 streaks to build a 20-11 margin. With the end in sight for Kansas, Colgate did not go down without a fight – suddenly a 7-0 burst by the gritty Raiders made things interesting. Shadwick and Owens sparked the rally with back-to-back kills, followed by blocks from Akin, Owens, and Shadwick, to close all the way within 23-21. Another kill from Owens cut the margin to 24-22 but Kansas had just enough to hold on for the set and match.

Season Highlights
 

• 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 PL championship, second-most in the conference, including their fifth 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. 
• Colgate concluded its fifth consecutive season with at least 18 wins, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season in which the Raiders finished with an 8-2 overall record. 
• Milan Bayless became the first sophomore to earn the league's top honor since 2016. She is Colgate's sixth different player to earn the Patriot League's Player of the Year. 
• Senior outside hitter Abby Shadwick will go down as one of the most decorated players in Colgate Volleyball history. She is a four-time Patriot League champion, three-time Academic All-Patriot League selection, and three-time All-Patriot League First Team honoree. 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.
• Colgate is 115-45 overall and 76-12 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2019 season. During that time the Raiders have clinched four consecutive Patriot League regular season and tournament championships. Colgate has finished no worse than 13-3 in conference play during that same span, including a 15-1 league record in 2019. 
• Eight of Colgate's 14 Patriot League victories this season came via sweep.