ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– Colgate rallied from late deficits in each of the three sets to defeat the Navy volleyball team Friday night at the Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis.  The Raiders (21-6, 14-1) defeated the Mids (15-11, 10-5), 25-20, 25-23, 26-24, in the penultimate match of the regular season for both teams.
 
"Credit Colgate for blocking and digging at a high level," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.
 
The opening set saw the score tied 11 times and the lead change hands on five occasions.  The Raiders held a 19-18 lead when they went on a 3-0 run to open up the largest lead of the set for either team.  That 22-18 advantage was enough of a cushion for the visitors to claim the first set.
 
The Mids jumped out to a 7-1 lead at the start of the second set and eventually took a 14-7 lead.  Navy still held an 18-13 advantage when Colgate went on a 4-0 run to close to within one point.  The Mids maintained the lead until a 3-0 run by the Raiders gave them a 21-20 lead.  The score would be tied at 21-21, 22-22 and 23-23, but Colgate registered back-to-back kills to win the stanza.
 
The teams played point-for-point with each other throughout the third set.  The largest lead for either team was three points when the Mids were in front, 13-10.  Colgate took a 21-19 lead only to see Navy score the next three points to take a 22-21 lead.  The Raiders regained the lead at 23-22, but the Mids took the lead back at 24-23.  Navy had a swing to win the set, but the ball was dug by the Raiders and that led to a kill for Colgate that tied the score for the 15^th time in the set.  Just as in set two, Colgate closed the set with two-straight kills to close out the match.
 
Colgate held slight leads in nearly every statistic: 38-34 in kills, .144-.102 in hitting percentage, 6-5 in aces and 60-57 in digs.  Navy did record one more block that Colgate (8-7).
 
Individually, Avery Stowell (So., Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Amanda Montag (Jr., Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) each posted eight kills to lead the Navy offense.  Defensively, Emily Solis (Sr., Leesburg, Va.) grabbed 12 digs, Natalie LaPlaca (Sr., Owings, Md.) snared 10 digs and both Sarena Seelbach (Sr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Sofia Hruby (Sr., Austin, Texas) recorded four blocks.
 
Navy will close its regular season Sunday at 2 p.m. when it plays host to Lafayette.  The Mids will then open the Patriot League Tournament at home on Tuesday against either Lehigh or Loyola.
 
"We need to regroup and focus and facing a surging Lafayette team on Sunday," said Labrador.