Volleyball Draws Creighton in NCAA Tournament
HAMILTON – Colgate (22-7) will square off with No. 17 Creighton (27-4) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The selection committee released its 64-team field Sunday evening on ESPN.
Colgate (22-7, 13-3) is coming off its third consecutive Patriot League championship after sweeping American in the title match at Cotterell Court. The Raiders, under 18th-year head coach Ryan Baker, are making their seventh NCAA tournament appearance.
Baker, the five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, guided Colgate to its fourth regular season championship in five years. The historic season has included two victories over power-five opponents, knocking off West Virginia 3-2 in their home opener, marking the program's first win over a Big 12 foe in program history. Colgate swept Syracuse less than a week later.
Colgate carries a five-match winning streak into the NCAA tournament on the heels of postseason victories over Navy (3-1) and American (3-0). Taylor Cigna garnered Patriot League Tournament MVP honors after racking up 33 digs in two postseason matches as the libero.
The Raiders are led by All-Patriot League First Team honorees Gillian Hauschild and Abby Shadwick, who rank first and second on the team in kills with 267 and 199, respectively. Sophie Thompson enters the tournament ranked fifth nationally in blocks per set (1.55).
This will be Colgate's first-ever meeting with Creighton. The Raiders are 16-36 all-time against the BIG EAST, with their most recent win coming Sept. 19, 2015, against Providence (3-2). Colgate last faced an opponent from the conference in the 2022 season opener, falling to Villanova 3-2 in the Green & Gold Classic at USC.
Friday's winner will play the winner of Minnesota-Utah State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets available to the general public will be on sale at http://GoCreighton.com/buy
Players Mentioned
- L
- 5' 9"
- Senior
- OPP
- 6' 2"
- Senior
- OH
- 6' 2"
- Junior
- MB
- 6' 2"
- Fifth Year
Players Mentioned
- 5' 9"
- Senior
- L
- 6' 2"
- Senior
- OPP
- 6' 2"
- Junior
- OH
- 6' 2"
- Fifth Year
- MB
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