OMAHA, Neb. – Colgate scored more points than any opponent facing Creighton on the road since early September, but the Raiders couldn't quite finish in a 3-0 decision to the No. 17 Bluejays in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday at D.J. Sokol Arena.
The Raiders went toe-to-toe in all three sets, dropping 25-19, 25-23, and 25-20 frames. That's the most total points allowed by the Bluejays in this arena since Northern Iowa fell to Creighton 3-1 on Sept. 3. Colgate's 23 points in the second set were also the most allowed by the Bluejays in a single set since No. 25 Marquette scored 24 on Nov. 5.
COACH BAKER'S COMMENTS
"I'm extremely grateful that we got to play in the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year. I'm so proud of our team's fight. There's a reason why Creighton is a top 10 team in the RPI rankings. They're well coached, disciplined, and competitive. What I'll remember most from this is a university of about 3,000 students putting on a performance like this on the road tonight. We were competitive in all three sets. I'm so proud of these girls and I'm grateful to be the coach at Colgate University."
Frances Torres shined on the greatest stage, finishing with a team-best 11 kills with a .526 hitting percentage. The Raiders finished with 41 kills on .231 hitting, while Creighton was led by Norah Sis' 12 kills and posted a .319 hitting clip.
Defensively Taylor Cigna led the way with 16 digs. Sophie Thompson, Greta Hoogstra, and Abby Shadwick all finished with two block assists.
Colgate's season comes to an unfortunate end but not before more history was made during a memorable campaign. Finishing with a 22-8 record overall and 13-3 Patriot League mark, the Raiders clinched their third consecutive conference championship and secured their fourth regular-season title in five years.
Among Colgate's other highlights this season include its first-ever win over a Big 12 opponent when the Raiders knocked off West Virginia on Sept. 7. Colgate dominated the league once again, culminating with a sweep of American in the championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Creighton 25, Colgate 19
It took some time for Colgate to find its footing and Creighton built a 10-2 lead. Shadwick landed a kill down the line and that's what got the Raiders going. Suddenly a pair of kills from Hoogstra sparked a 4-0 response and Colgate closed within 16-13 to force a Creighton timeout. A kill from Torres kept the gap at three points (22-19) before the home team scored the final three points to close out the set, 25-19.
Set 2: Creighton 25, Colgate 23
Cigna fired a service ace to pull Colgate in front 7-6 early in the back-and-forth second stage. Creighton jumped in front before three straight kills from Shadwick, Torres, and Thompson fueled a 3-0 burst to draw even 13-13. Colgate found itself down 21-18 but once again fought all the way back. A block by Thompson and Shadwick capped a 3-0 run to bring the score even 22-22. Another kill from Shadwick tied the set at 23-23, but Creighton scored the final two points to hold on, 25-23.
Set 3: Creighton 25, Colgate 20
Creighton took charge of the third and final set, using a 5-0 run and never looking back with an 11-6 lead. The home team had the crowd behind them down the stretch and opened their advantage to 21-12 before Colgate strung together one final fight. Kills from Hauschild, Shadwick, and Torres fueled an 8-3 surge to bring the Raiders back within 24-20 but Creighton put it away with the clinching point to secure the 25-20 score.
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