MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — No. 13 Colby dropped a hard-fought NESCAC opener at unbeaten Wesleyan, 3–1 (25–20, 16–25, 25–22, 30–28) Friday night in Silloway Gymnasium. The Mules out-killed the Cardinals 70–56 and hit .251 to Wesleyan's .229, but long-point pressure in sets three and four tilted the match to the hosts. Colby drops to 9–1 (0–1 NESCAC) while the Cardinals secure their first NESCAC win.

After Wesleyan edged the opener, Colby answered immediately with a dominant second set, piling up 44 attacks and swinging .364 in a 25–16 equalizer. The third set was tight throughout before the Cardinals closed late, 25–22. Set four turned into a thriller where the Mules climbed to multiple match points behind floor defense and heavy swings on the pins but Wesleyan finally secured the win 30–28.

LJ Grant led Colby Volleyball with 17 kills and 15 digs, while Brady Moseley added 16 kills and an ace. Kendall Glover chipped in nine kills and three blocks, and middle tandem Cyanne Jones (2 blocks) and Alexa Peguero (3) helped the Mules finish with six team blocks. Setters Jordan Lee (26 assists) and Gabby Grujic (25) steered a 70-kill attack; Grujic also logged 13 digs, with Reese Loyd adding nine. Team-wise, Colby totaled 70 kills, 59 assists, 11 aces, six blocks, and 73 digs.

After an intense four-set battle at Wesleyan, Colby will aim to test the No. 12 MIT Engineers on their home court in Cambridge for a 2:00 PM showdown.