Raiders Host 11 Matches at Cotterell Court; Face Five Power Five Conference Teams

2018 Schedule

Colgate volleyball head coach Ryan Baker has announced the Raiders’ challenging 2018 schedule. Colgate will host 11 home matches at Cotterell Court, beginning with the Colgate Classic Aug. 31 through Sept. 1.

Colgate is set to face five Power Five conference foes and four teams that are coming off national postseason tournament appearances in the strong 2018 schedule.

“I am absolutely thrilled with our 2018 schedule,” said Baker, who enters his 13th season at the helm. “It is by far one of the more challenging schedules we’ve put together, but I am confident that this team is ready.

“We will be facing three Big Ten Teams, one PAC-12 team and an SEC team.  We also face Ivy League champ Princeton and America East champion Stony Brook along with other top competition.  I believe we are a program that loves competing and this schedule gives us a chance to make a splash on the national scene.”

Colgate opens the 2018 slate with a trip to the Cal Tournament in Berkeley, Calif. The Raiders will face a pair of Power Five conference foes in Rutgers (Big Ten) and Cal (PAC-12) as well as Chicago State in the two-day tournament. The trip will also serve as a homecoming for five Raiders who hail from the state of California (Bridget Kolsky, Peighton McRobie, Jaelah Hutchison, Gabby Benck and Hailey Horn-Bostel).

The Raiders make their home debut the following weekend when Colgate hosts the four-team Colgate Classic at Cotterell Court. The Raiders will welcome the Big Ten’s Northwestern, defending Ivy League champion Princeton, and a Stephen F. Austin team that is coming off an NIVC appearance in the strong tournament field on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

Colgate next heads to the Maryland Invitational on Sept. 8-9. The Raiders will face two more Power Five conference teams in host Maryland (Big Ten) and the SEC’s South Carolina, as well as Liberty.

The Raiders close out the non-league portion of their schedule on Sept. 15-16 with a trip to defending America East champion Stony Brook. Colgate will take on the host Seawolves, Delaware and Bryant.

Colgate then turns its attention to Patriot League play, which opens up at Holy Cross on Sept. 21. The league schedule features a home-and-home format with each of the eight teams. Colgate Volleyball family weekend is set for Nov. 2-3 when the Raiders host the league’s top two finishers from 2017 in five-time defending league champ American and Navy.

“The league will once again be very deep and experienced so we need to be pushed,” Baker said. “I am confident in our seniors’ ability to lead and build upon last year’s late success.  Each and every year, we want to be competing for a championship and I feel scheduling is one of the most important factors in accomplishing these type of goals.”

The four-team Patriot League Championship is set for Nov. 17-18 and is hosted by the regular season champion. The winner will receive the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

Colgate is coming off a 2017 season that saw the Raiders finish 18-11 overall and 9-7 in league play. The Raiders won nine of their final 12 games and earned a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.

By martha

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