MANHATTAN, N.Y. – The Colby Volleyball Team secured a huge final victory on Sunday, September 15, taking down the #7-ranked New York University in four sets (28-26, 25-19, 20-25, 25-14). The Mules came out strong following two successful match-ups on Saturday, weathering a competitive battle in the first two sets, before closing out the match with a dominant fourth-set performance. Colby's balanced attack and tenacious defense helped them prevail in a hard-fought match, pushing their record to 6-1 overall while NYU drops to 8-2.
The first set set the tone for a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading points throughout. The Violets led 23-19, but the Mules refused to back down, rallying with four straight points to tie the game. Despite NYU's set point, Colby edged out a 28-26 win, and secured the first set. In the second set, the Mules took control after a brief 6-5 NYU lead. A combination of strong attacks from the Colby's offense and unforced errors from the Violets allowed the Mules to go on an 8-2 run, sealing a 25-19 victory and taking a commanding 2-0 match lead. NYU bounced back in the third set, overcoming an early 5-1 deficit. Fueled by a strong offensive run, the Violets led by as much as six points and finished the set 25-20, extending the match to a fourth set. Colby dominated in the final set, surging to a 12-3 lead, fueled by powerful kills from
LJ Grant and
Marjorie Johnson. The Violets attempted a late comeback, but the Mules held their ground, cruising to a 25-14 win and clinching the match.
Colby tallied an impressive hitting percentage of 0.275, recording 57 kills, 12 aces, and 11 blocks in their match. Grant was at home in New York, leading the Mules with an impressive 15 kills in the match, and was closely followed by
Brady Moseley with 11 and Johnson with 10. Colby also excelled at the service line, with Grant,
Sydney Bopp, and
Jordan Lee each recording 3 aces. Defensively, Bopp dominated at the net with 7 blocks, while Johnson and
Sarah Friedrichs added 3 each.
Gabby Grujic amassed 26 assists, supported by Lee's 20. On the back row,
Reese Loyd led with 15 digs, followed by Moseley with 13.
Coming up next, Colby will return to Mayflower Hill and host its first NESCAC game of the season against Wesleyan University on Friday, September 20, at 7:00 PM. The Mules will look to extend their record and secure their first conference win of the season, continuing their momentum.
