Navy's Colgate rematch puts first-set improvement in focus
Navy must repair its attack quickly to finish its homestand with a win. The Midshipmen host Colgate at noon Saturday after Holy Cross kept them out of rhythm in a three-set defeat Friday; the Raiders arrive after winning in four sets at Loyola.
The Midshipmen host the Raiders at noon Eastern on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis. ESPN+ will stream the Patriot League match. It is the finale of Navy's four-match homestand, following Friday's visit from Holy Cross. Match information
After Friday’s results, Navy is 8-10 overall and 6-4 in the Patriot League; Colgate is 9-10 and 4-6. The Mids lost to Holy Cross 25-19, 25-21, 25-20, while the Raiders beat Loyola 25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20. Navy’s Friday report | Colgate’s Friday report
The immediate concern is keeping attacking errors from cancelling out productive swings. Navy and Holy Cross each had 117 attempts Friday, but the Mids committed 22 attack errors to the Crusaders’ 12. Navy hit .128 while Holy Cross hit .265. Farrah Eike and Paige Buzzerio each had 10 kills for the Mids. The turnaround leaves little time to reset, and giving Colgate comfortable early leads would again force Navy to find its rhythm while trailing. Friday’s attacking comparison
What the first meeting showed
On Sept. 18 in Hamilton, Navy lost the first two sets before winning the next three. Colgate hit .418 across the opening two sets, then .047 over the final three. Farrah Eike finished with 24 kills, including five in the deciding set. The victory ended Navy's nine-match losing streak in the series. September match report
That reversal makes attacking efficiency the central matchup. Can Navy's block and back-row defense disrupt Colgate before the Raiders establish a lead? Can Eike find productive swings without the Midshipmen having to chase the score? Those are the practical tests behind a rematch of such sharply different halves.
Navy also had multiple routes to points in that first meeting. Caroline Buffum contributed 15 kills and Ellen Gundlach added 11, while Amara Chambers collected 21 digs. Keeping those supporting options involved would make it harder for Colgate to concentrate its defense on Eike. September match statistics
Another attacking option to watch
Paige Buzzerio supplied an unexpected boost in Navy's five-set win over Army on Oct. 17. She recorded 16 kills after entering the match with nine for the season. Whether that production carries into this weekend is worth watching alongside the Midshipmen's first-set execution. Navy's weekend report
First serve: Saturday, Oct. 24, noon ET. Venue: Wesley A. Brown Field House, Annapolis, Maryland. Watch: ESPN+.