Magdalena Tekiel scored a career-high 21 kills and finished the afternoon with a .436 hitting percentage but it was not enough as the American University volleyball team was defeated by Colgate, 3-1, in Bender Arena. The match was tightly contested from beginning to end as Colgate picked up the victory by set scores of 14-25, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-23.

American (8-9, 2-2) dominated the opening set, sprinting out to a 7-1 lead following consecutive Cassandra Ricketts kills. Colgate (6-9, 3-1) made a brief run at the lead and brought the score to within three, 13-10, but a Tekiel kill and Raider error pushed the score to 15-10. A 6-0 run down the stretch which included two Tekiel kills put the Eagles over the top as they scored set point, 25-15, on a Tekiel and Claire Recht block. American hit an astounding .484 in the frame with 16 kills on 31 attempts with just one error while holding Colgate to a .100 hitting percentage.

Colgate found its groove in the second set as the Raiders were able to weather 12 tie scores to earn the victory. Colgate opened the frame by taking a 6-3 lead but the Eagles quickly battled back and tied the score at eight. American took a slight 14-13 advantage on a Cynammon Burns service ace but it would be the last lead the team would hold in the set. After trading points through the remainder of the frame, Colgate finally took hold of the match with a Maureen Colligan kill and Logan Keala block, 24-22. Angelina Waterman scored a kill to bring the score to 24-23 but a Keala kill gave the Raiders the set, 25-23.

The lead changed hands four times in the third set but a 5-0 run late by the Raiders broke a 15-all tie and gave them a 20-15 advantage. American put together a string of points down the the stretch pulled to within one on a Tekiel kill, 24-23, but a service error earned Colgate set point, 25-23.

In what could be considered the most competitive set of the season thus far, Colgate was able to come out on top after the teams traded the lead 13 times and were tied on 19 occasions. The Raiders took the largest lead of the frame, 14-11, following a Casey Ritt kill but a 5-1 run by the Eagles put American ahead, 16-15. A Waterman kill and Raider error put American ahead by two, 23-21, before a 4-0 Colgate run ended the set and match, 25-23.

Tekiel recorded a career-high 21 kills on 39 attempts with just four errors for a .436 hitting percentage. She added five digs and two total blocks (1 BS, 1 BA). Ricketts and Waterman each tallied 11 kills and eight digs while Waterman chipped in three block assists and three aces. Krysta Cicala dished out 44 assists and Rebecca Heath totaled 13 digs.

American will return to the court on Friday, October 9, as the team travels to Annapolis, Md., to face Navy at 7 p.m.