Saturday, November 8
Lewisburg, Pa.
3 p.m.
Bucknell University
11-13,8-7Patriot
3
vs
2
Colgate
16-9,11-3Patriot
1
2
3
4
5
F
Colgate
18
26
25
25
10
2
Bucknell
25
28
18
16
15
3
Photo by: Isabelle Roes
Volleyball Rides Big Fifth-Set Run to Victory over 4x Defending PL Champion Colgate
11/8/2025 6:41:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior Tijana Kostic recorded a career-high 20 kills and the Bucknell volleyball team scored 12 of the first 15 points in the fifth set to hold off four-time defending Patriot League champion Colgate on Saturday at Davis Gym. Sidney Shaffer (13), Bri Frazilus (11), and Bella Rodriguez (10) also recorded double-digit kills for the Bison, who regrouped nicely after the Raiders won the third and fourth sets.
The Bison improved to 11-13 overall and 8-7 in the Patriot League, and they moved within a half-game of fourth-place Navy, which still has to play American and Colgate, the top two teams in the league. Bucknell has already clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth and can still move up to the No. 4 seed – and host a quarterfinal match – with a win over Army next Saturday and two Navy losses.
The Bison got out to a great start, claiming the first two sets by 25-18 and 28-26 counts. But after fighting off three Colgate set points to go up 2-0, Bucknell was extended all the way to a fifth set after the Raiders bounced back with 25-18 and 25-16 verdicts.
Colgate seemed to have all the momentum heading into the final set, but the Bison jumped all over the Raiders in the deciding frame. Frazilus and Rodriguez set the tone with emphatic kills, and then Bucknell thought it had a 4-0 lead, but a successful challenge flipped it to 3-1. One point later, Jeremy Young got a replay reversal of his own to make it 4-1, and the Bison were off and running.
Shaffer had a hand in two straight blocks, the latter a solo rejection, and then Kostic's kill made it 7-1. The margin stretched all the way to nine at 12-3 after a Frazilus put-away. Colgate rallied by winning five of the next six points, but Frazilus brought Bucknell to match point with a kill, and then she and Riley Tucker teamed up for a block on Milan Bayless to end it.
Bayless led the Raiders with 21 kills, while Carlie Rzeszotarski followed with 13. Colgate hit .168 to Bucknell's .136 as the Raiders finished with 17 total blocks. Maddie Rudolph led the way with 10 block assists, while Shaffer had six total blocks for the Bison.
Libero Cameron Lloyd led all players with 24 digs, and she also chipped in with 10 assists for her second double-double of the season. Setters Laura Caro and Caleigh O'Connell had 23 and 18 assists respectively.
Bucknell broke open a 10-10 deadlock with an 8-2 run in the opening set. Lloyd's service ace made it 18-12, and Tucker finished off the set with a kill.
The second set was tied at 19-19, 22-22, 23-23, 24-24, 25-25, and 26-26. Colgate had three chances to serve out the set, but a Frazilus kill tied it at 24, a service error made it 25-all, and Tucker's kill leveled it at 26. Kostic and Shaffer followed with kills, and the Bison claimed the second set.
Bucknell also defeated the Raiders in five sets in 2023, but this was just the third win over the Raiders in the last 29 meetings.
The Bison close out the regular season next Saturday at home against Army. The 4 p.m. contest will be preceded by Senior Day ceremonies.
The Bison improved to 11-13 overall and 8-7 in the Patriot League, and they moved within a half-game of fourth-place Navy, which still has to play American and Colgate, the top two teams in the league. Bucknell has already clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth and can still move up to the No. 4 seed – and host a quarterfinal match – with a win over Army next Saturday and two Navy losses.
The Bison got out to a great start, claiming the first two sets by 25-18 and 28-26 counts. But after fighting off three Colgate set points to go up 2-0, Bucknell was extended all the way to a fifth set after the Raiders bounced back with 25-18 and 25-16 verdicts.
Colgate seemed to have all the momentum heading into the final set, but the Bison jumped all over the Raiders in the deciding frame. Frazilus and Rodriguez set the tone with emphatic kills, and then Bucknell thought it had a 4-0 lead, but a successful challenge flipped it to 3-1. One point later, Jeremy Young got a replay reversal of his own to make it 4-1, and the Bison were off and running.
Shaffer had a hand in two straight blocks, the latter a solo rejection, and then Kostic's kill made it 7-1. The margin stretched all the way to nine at 12-3 after a Frazilus put-away. Colgate rallied by winning five of the next six points, but Frazilus brought Bucknell to match point with a kill, and then she and Riley Tucker teamed up for a block on Milan Bayless to end it.
Bayless led the Raiders with 21 kills, while Carlie Rzeszotarski followed with 13. Colgate hit .168 to Bucknell's .136 as the Raiders finished with 17 total blocks. Maddie Rudolph led the way with 10 block assists, while Shaffer had six total blocks for the Bison.
Libero Cameron Lloyd led all players with 24 digs, and she also chipped in with 10 assists for her second double-double of the season. Setters Laura Caro and Caleigh O'Connell had 23 and 18 assists respectively.
Bucknell broke open a 10-10 deadlock with an 8-2 run in the opening set. Lloyd's service ace made it 18-12, and Tucker finished off the set with a kill.
The second set was tied at 19-19, 22-22, 23-23, 24-24, 25-25, and 26-26. Colgate had three chances to serve out the set, but a Frazilus kill tied it at 24, a service error made it 25-all, and Tucker's kill leveled it at 26. Kostic and Shaffer followed with kills, and the Bison claimed the second set.
Bucknell also defeated the Raiders in five sets in 2023, but this was just the third win over the Raiders in the last 29 meetings.
The Bison close out the regular season next Saturday at home against Army. The 4 p.m. contest will be preceded by Senior Day ceremonies.
Team Stats
Colg
Buck
Kills
56
60
Errors
25
32
Attempts
184
206
Hitting %
.168
.136
Points
78.0
73.0
Assists
51
53
Aces
5
4
Blocks
17
9
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
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