Great performances from All-Tournament selections Juliana Crum and Kelly McCaddin weren’t enough for the AU volleyball team, as the Eagles fell to Colgate in a five-set thriller in the Patriot League Championship Nov. 18 in Hamilton, N.Y.
“Today’s final was an extremely competitive match,” AU head coach Barry Goldberg said. “The final outcome was decided within a blink of an eye. Both teams played very hard.”
The second-seeded Eagles (21-10) lost in set scores of 25-16, 19-25, 25-21, 21-25 and 18-20 to the top-seeded Raiders (17-13).
Crum posted a game-high 21 kills and 13 digs, while McCaddin tallied 14 kills and a .286 hitting percentage.
Both teams battled all match long and the final game, as well as each team’s season, came down to the final points of the fifth set. The Eagles faced a 14-10 deficit in the fifth set but kept their title hopes alive with a 4-0 run that forced extra points. The score went back and forth, until Colgate strung together two straight points to clinch the championship at 20-18. The loss snapped an eight-game conference-winning streak for AU.
The Eagles were plagued by injuries throughout the season, between Monika Smidova’s torn ACL, Kylann Scheidt’s concussion and Rebecca Heath’s knee injuries. But given the youth of the squad, AU should be back in the championship hunt next year. The Eagles will bring back 2012 First Team All-Patriot League selections Sara Rishell and Morgan Hendrix, along with standout freshman Allison Cappellino.
Although they return nearly everyone on the team, Heath may prove to be difficult to replace.
“This year, our team took some time to develop, and I really am pleased with the progress we made over the season,” Goldberg said. “Our lone senior, Rebecca Heath, was instrumental in guiding our success over her career here at AU. Her injuries unfortunately prevented her from being as forceful a competitor in the Patriot League this year. We will have a void to fill with Rebecca’s graduation this spring.”
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