HAMILTON, N.Y. – Loyola University Maryland volleyball put together a strong third-set effort but ultimately fell in straight sets to Patriot League-leading Colgate, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23, on Friday night at Cotterell Court.

Sophomore outside hitter Ava Nepkin led the Greyhounds with a team-high 13 kills while hitting .370. She added three digs and a block assist to finish with 13.5 points. Morgan Crawford contributed seven kills and three blocks, and Kacy Sekunda added seven kills and eight digs.

After dropping the first two sets, Loyola responded with its best performance in the third, hitting .263 as a team and pushing the Raiders to the brink. The Greyhounds held a 23-22 lead late in the frame before Colgate closed out the match with a 3-0 run.

Defensively, Addie Huber paced Loyola with 12 digs, while Gabi Verdicchio added six. The Greyhounds totaled five team blocks, including two block assists each from Sekunda, Mariah Sanabia, and Riley Hamilton.

Colgate, which remains atop the conference standings, was led by Milan Bayless with 17 kills and a .244 hitting percentage. The Raiders hit .340 as a team and totaled 11 blocks.

Loyola returns to action on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Worcester, Massachusetts, for a 4 p.m. matchup against Holy Cross.