HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Northeastern women's volleyball team (1-5) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Colgate before the Raiders responded with wins in the final three sets to knock off the Huskies (18-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 16-14) Friday night at Cotterell Court.
The Huskies came out sharp, taking the first two sets behind a balanced attack that saw five different players record double-digit kills across the match.
Emma Rowell led all Northeastern hitters with a match-high 17 kills on .344 hitting, adding four blocks and three digs.
Valentina Meirelles was equally efficient, tallying 13 kills at a .314 clip, while
Beatrice Gennari chipped in seven kills, four blocks, and a match-high three service aces.
Colgate answered by seizing control in the middle sets, riding Tiana Owens' huge night — 21 kills, three service aces, and 25 receptions — to even the match at two sets apiece. Aubrey Anders was a difference-maker for the Raiders as well, finishing with 16 kills and going on an extended service run in the third set that included three straight aces during a decisive scoring stretch.
The deciding fifth set was tight throughout, with seven ties and five lead changes. Colgate pulled ahead late and closed it out 16-14 to escape Hamilton with the win.
Defensively, Northeastern's back row stayed busy all night.
Brynn Smith paced the Huskies with 12 digs and served up two aces, while libero
Iris Canko added 21 digs. Sofia Sosinovica ran the offense with 21 assists, and
Arina Sosinovica-led ball control helped keep the Huskies competitive in a match that saw 31 tie scores and 16 lead changes overall.
Northeastern will look to rebound on Saturday against Dartmouth at 2 p.m.
