MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — In front of a packed Silloway Gym and down 0–2 on the road, Colby authored a signature comeback to seize the NCAA Regional Championship, toppling No. 12 Wesleyan 17–25, 22–25, 25–21, 25–22, 15–7. The Mules (26–3) flipped the match with suffocating defense, a rebalanced 6–2 offense, and a dominant fifth set to punch their ticket to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Wesleyan set the tone early, hitting .297 in the opener while capitalizing on Colby errors. The Cardinals kept their edge in Set 2 (.229), stringing together side-outs and a late service ace to edge Colby 25–22 and build a 2–0 lead. Everything changed in Set 3. Colby's block and back-row coverage slammed the door—Wesleyan was held to .021 (8–7–48)—and the Mules' pins began to win first-ball swings. Brady Moseley and Cyanne Jones paced an 18-kill frame, while Kendall Glover's quick tempo through the middle stressed the Cardinals' block. Colby carried that defensive framework into Set 4, where the Mules tallied 18 kills against just five errors (.260) and timely stops, including a late stuff from Alexa Peguero and Jones on Wesleyan's hot hand, to level the match. During the final set, the Mules sprinted to an 8–4 switch after a block from Glover and LJ Grant, and a Moseley service ace pushed Colby further to 10–4. From there, the Mules closed like champions: sideout swings from Jones and Hayley Beigh, a pair of Glover put-aways, and a final miscue forced by Colby's pressure sealed the 15–7 finish. Colby hit .500 in the fifth (10–2–16) while holding Wesleyan to .118 (4–2–17).
Moseley led a balanced attack and defense with 17 kills and 18 digs joined by Glover's monster two-way night with 15 kills and 8 blocks, and Jones with 12 kills. The 6–2 engine purred: Sydney DeProfio (34) and Gabby Grujic (33) combined for 67 assists, spreading the ball to every zone. Libero Alli McKenney was everywhere with 23 digs, and Reese Loyd added 15 to help Colby win the floor-defense battle 98–83. At the net, the Mules held an 11–9 block edge and out-killed Wesleyan 78–53 overall—an emphatic 46–28 margin across the final three sets.
With this win, Colby lifts the regional crown and advances to the NCAA Elite Eight next week.
