MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The Colby Volleyball team outlasted Williams in a five-set classic, 21–25, 27–25, 17–25, 25–11, 15–6, on Friday night to punch a ticket to the NESCAC final for the second straight season. The second-seeded Mules, now 23–2 overall and 9–1 in conference play, flipped the match with a ferocious surge over the last two sets, turning a 1–2 deficit into a runaway finish.
Williams controlled the opening frame and had Colby on the ropes again in the third, but the Mules' serve-and-block combo kept them within range long enough for the offense to catch fire. The hinge point came in the fourth set, where Colby hit a blistering .515 with 19 kills and just two errors on 33 swings while holding the Ephs to six kills. That wave carried straight into the tiebreak, where the Mules jumped out early and never eased off, closing the fifth 15–6 on first-ball sideouts and transition kills.
Brady Moseley delivered a starring performance with 20 kills and 14 digs, powering the attack and posting one of two double-doubles on the night. Marjorie Johnson followed through with 12 kills, and Ingrid Zahn added nine more. From the line, Colby created decisive separation with 12 aces to Williams' six, led by Sydney DeProfio's four and three each from Gabby Grujic and Reese Loyd. The block sealed the comeback: the Mules finished with 13 team blocks to Ephs' seven, anchored by Cyanne Jones with six, while Olivia Drayden and Moseley tallied three apiece. The setting tandem kept the tempo high—Grujic tallied 23 assists and DeProfio 20—while Alli McKenney steadied the back row with 10 digs, matching DeProfio and supporting the late-match surge. Colby's balance and pressure showed up across the box score: 56 kills to Williams' 45, a .177 team hitting percentage to the Ephs' .140, a 12–6 edge in aces, and a 13–7 advantage in blocks.
With the win, Colby advances to Saturday's NESCAC Championship at 3:00 p.m. against No. 4 Tufts in Middletown, aiming to carry forward the same serve pressure, terminal offense, and airtight net defense that broke the semifinal open. The Mules defeated the Jumbos during the regular season 3-1 back on October 17th.
