Lehigh volleyball falls to Colgate in three sets

The Lehigh volleyball team (12-15, 7-6 Patriot) suffered a loss against Colgate University with a score of 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-22) in Leeman-Turner Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Ana Spangenberg led the team with 12 points, 12 kills and an ace. Fellow teammate Julia Pressley added 8.5 points, eight kills, four digs and a block while sophomore Emily Develle had a team-high 17 digs.

Colgate, now second in the Patriot League, dominated the match in just the first set with a 6-1 and 9-2 lead.

“Colgate’s a good team,” coach Bob Bertucci said. “They got senior leadership on that team that is very strong. They’re playing a game with very few errors.”

Despite its third straight loss, Lehigh can still lock up a spot in the Patriot League Tournament by winning its next three games.

“We definitely had moments of good, but we didn’t play our best and that’s why we lost,” Pressley said. “The rest of the season, we definitely need to win out if we want to make it to the (Patriot League Championships).”

The Mountain Hawks hope to recover from their performance from the game by improving on team communication.

“I think we had moments of greatness, there were some highs and lows…we need to work on communication, working as a team instead of being individuals,” Spangenberg said.

Bertucci said the team makes four to five unforced errors per game, which can ultimately cost them the game. He added the team’s lack of substitutes contributed to its weaker performance.

“The only difference was just because of our inexperience which makes some silly mistakes,” Bertucci said. “I’m not happy with the fact that we’re still making silly mistakes, but I understand it.”