MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In an intense and nail-biting match, the Colby College Volleyball team experienced a setback as they fell to No. 14 ranked Wesleyan in a surprising 3-0 defeat. In their fourth NESCAC matchup of the season, Colby went head-to-head against the Cardinals and were unable to secure a victory, with the final score standing at 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-23) on Friday at Silloway Gymnasium. This loss marks the Mules' first NESCAC defeat of the season bringing their overall record to 7-4 and conference record 3-1, while the Cardinals remained undefeated.

After Wesleyan claimed the first two sets with scores of 25-16 and 25-13, Colby rallied for a highly competitive third set. The teams went back and forth, and at one point, they were deadlocked at 12-12. The Mules then surged ahead, taking a 21-17 lead. Unfortunately, Colby couldn't hold on and narrowly lost by just two points with a final score of 23-25. As a team, the Mules posted a hitting percentage of .151, amassing a total of 36 kills and recording four blocks, a performance that closely mirrored Wesleyan's statistics. Colby also accumulated 45 digs in comparison to the Cardinals' 38.

Senior Hannah Wyllie took the lead with seven kills and two blocks, boasting an outstanding hitting efficiency of .583. LJ Grant and Sydney Bopp also made significant contributions with six kills each. In terms of facilitating the team's offense, Allison Rodriguez tallied 11 assists, while Reanna Yadao stood out defensively with an impressive 14 digs.

Looking forward, the Colby Volleyball team is getting ready for their upcoming match in Hartford, where they will face Trinity College in another intense NESCAC matchup tomorrow at 2:00 pm. Their aim is to recover from the recent setback and come back strong with a win.