Waterville, ME – Colby Volleyball delivered an electrifying performance in the NESCAC semi-finals, defeating Williams (13-11, 5-6 NESCAC) in a three-sets straight to punch their ticket to the conference championship (25-21, 25-19, 25-21). This win comes on the heels of Colby climbing to the #14 position in the AVCA 2024 Division III WVB Poll, solidifying their status as a rising powerhouse in Division III volleyball and improving their record to 24-2 overall and 10-0 in the conference.

Colby started the match with a commanding performance, racing to an early 6-0 lead with a series of blocks by LJ Grant and Sydney Bopp, forcing Williams to call an early timeout. The Mules continued to capitalize on the Ephs' errors and extended their lead to 11-1 with kills from Sarah Friedrichs and Grant. Despite a brief rally by Williams, Colby maintained control. A timely service ace from Reese Loyd and steady offensive contributions from Friedrichs and Bopp kept the Mules comfortably ahead. Williams managed a small surge late in the set, narrowing the gap to 21-13 behind a service ace. However, Colby sealed the set with a score of 25-14. Set 2 was more evenly contested, with both teams trading points early on. Colby quickly took a 2-0 lead but Williams fought back, capitalizing on Colby errors and a service ace to tie the set at 5-5. The Mules responded with a balanced attack maintaining a slight edge. The Ephs gained momentum midway through the set giving them a 16-14 lead, prompting a Colby timeout. The break refocused the Mules, who roared back with a strong offensive push. Closing out the set, a series of Williams attack errors sealed the set for the Mules, 25-19.  Williams came out fighting in the third set, pushing Colby to respond to early challenges. The Ephs took a brief lead with aggressive attacking but Colby's defense quickly adjusted. A decisive run mid-set was sparked by Bopp, who contributed blocks, kills, and a service ace to give Colby the edge. Despite a late surge from the Ephs, Colby's composure under pressure sealed the win, with Brady Moseley delivering the final blow off a set from Gabby Grujic.

Colby's offensive attack was led by Friedrichs, who notched a team-high 9 kills, with Bopp contributing 6 and Moseley adding 5. From the service line, both Bopp and Grujic tallied 2 aces each, while Alli McKenney chipped in with 1. At the net, Bopp was a defensive powerhouse with 9.0 blocks, followed closely by Friedrichs with 6.0 and Lj Grant with 4.0. The offense was orchestrated primarily by Grujic, who dished out 16 assists and with Jordan Lee adding 11. Defensively, Moseley anchored the back row with 12 digs, supported by Grujic with 10 and Grant with 9. The Mules delivered a well-rounded performance, recording a total of 34 kills, 6 aces, and 11 blocks in their victory. With a team hitting percentage of .167, Colby demonstrated a balanced offensive approach, combining power at the net with strategic serving. 

Colby Volleyball will face off against No. 2 Middlebury College in the NESCAC Championship match on Saturday, November 16, at 3:00 PM. This highly anticipated showdown will cap off an impressive season run for the Mules as they aim to secure the conference title.