STORRS, Conn. — The Raiders finished the UConn invitational with the host as their last match up. UConn was able to rally late in set three and four to defeat Colgate in four sets, 3–1.

Milan Bayless led the team with 15 kills and added 10 digs, finishing with 15.5 points. Deren Cukur was efficient, achieving a perfect hitting percentage with seven kills on seven attempts, leading in assists with 32, and contributing 15 digs. Ava Schabes was effective from the service line, delivering a career-high four aces and collecting eight digs. Frances Torres contributed eight kills and added three digs to her performance.

COACH BAKER'S COMMENTS
"Obviously we are disappointed with the results of this weekend. We had opportunities on a number of occasions to come away with a win in all 3 of the matches. The margin of error is so small when you play quality opponents like we faced this weekend and we had breakdowns mentally and physically.

We are playing a very tough schedule and it's exposing us while also toughening us up. It's a short week of training so we need to learn quickly from film and continue to get better."

Set 1  (Uconn 25, Colgate 22)

• The Raiders maintained a tight score early, pulling even at 7-7 with a kill from Tiana Owens.
• A 4-0 run by the Raiders, highlighted by kills from Frances Torres, gave them a 10-8 lead.
• UConn seized momentum with a 5-1 run, capped by a service ace from Doga Kutlu, pushing the score to 21-19.
• Despite a late kill by Torres bringing the Raiders within two, UConn secured the set 25-22 with a final kill.  

Set 2  (Colgate 25, UConn 15)

• The Raiders opened the set with a commanding 8-1 run, capitalizing on UConn's attack errors and a service ace from Ava Schabes.
• Schabes delivered two consecutive service aces, extending the Raiders' lead to 10-1 and maintaining the pressure on UConn. 
• Bayless contributed crucial points with a kill at 11-3 and another at 19-9, helping the Raiders sustain their advantage.
• Owens secured the set with a kill to reach set point at 24-15, followed by Rachael Martinez's service ace to close the set 25-15.  

Set 3  (Uconn 25, Colgate 15)

• The Raiders and UConn traded points early, keeping the score tight at 9-9, highlighted by two kills from Maddie Rudolph for the Raiders.  
• UConn then initiated a decisive 6-0 run, marked by multiple kills from Emma Werkmeister, pushing the score to 15-9.
• Bayless managed to break the run with a kill, but UConn quickly regained momentum with a 5-1 surge, extending their lead to 20-11.
• UConn sealed the set with a service ace from Isabella Suhy and Werkmeister's final kill, securing a 25-15 victory.  

Set 4  (Uconn 25, Colgate 23)

• The Raiders started strong, taking a 2-0 lead with early kills from Cukur and Owens.  
• A service ace by Martinez helped the Raiders build a 5-3 lead, followed by a kill from Bayless.
• The Raiders utilized a 5-0 run, including a service ace by Schabes, to extend the advantage to 12-8.
• UConn rallied late, capitalizing on attack errors to shift momentum and take a 23-20 lead.
• Despite a late push by the Raiders with kills from Lal Akin and Bayless, UConn closed the set 25-23.

GAME NOTES

• Schabes notched a career high of 4 service aces in one game.  
• Aubrey Anders made her Raider debut.

UP NEXT
Continuing their road stretch, the Raiders will face a familiar opponent, Cornell, on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in Newman Arena.