No. 3 Trojans Sweep Saturday Slate in Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The No. 3-ranked Colby Community College volleyball team bounced back in a big way Saturday (Aug. 30) at the Marriott Springhill Suites Cheyenne Invite sweeping both Central Arizona College and Casper College to finish the day unbeaten. The Trojans went 2-0 on the final day of competition, closing the tournament at 2-2 overall after Friday's (Aug. 29) matches.

The Trojans opened the day with a gritty sweep over Central Arizona. After falling behind early in the first set, Colby rallied behind kills from Isabella Martins, Kami Cowdrey, and Ella Dridi, who fueled the comeback and pushed the Trojans ahead 13-8. Central Arizona responded to tie the set at 19 before the teams traded points down the stretch. With the score knotted at 23, Karlotta Kattai delivered back-to-back kills to secure the 25-23 win.

In set two, Kattai stayed hot with an early kill and solo block to spark a 3-0 start. Chiara Binda added an ace and Amanda Caputi chipped in a kill as Colby built momentum. Later, a run highlighted by Lena Mihaljica's kills stretched the lead to 18-14. On set point, Caputi and Binda teamed up for a block to seal the 25-19 victory.

Colby controlled the third set behind kills from Kattai and Mihaljica. A 14-11 lead built on a double block by Mihaljica and Isadora gave the Trojans the cushion they needed. From there, Colby never trailed, closing the set 25-20 to complete the sweep.

Colby then went against highly competitive Casper College who was undefeated coming into the match. The No. 3 Trojans came out strong in the opening set, scoring the first five points before forcing a Casper timeout. The Trojans kept the momentum going, using a double block from Dridi and Binda to extend the advantage to 10-2. Moments later, Mihaljica made a highlight play, digging a hard swing that rolled over the net untouched for a point to make it 13-5. The Trojans never let up, finishing the frame with a 25-14 win on a Binda service ace.

The second set was much tighter, with neither side gaining much separation early. Kills from Dridi and Karlotta Kattai, along with back-to-back aces from Kattai, helped Colby edge in front. Binda's quick swing off an overpass pushed the lead to 14-11 and forced another Casper timeout. The Trojans built a late 20-17 lead after another Binda kill, but the Thunderbirds clawed back to tie the set at 23. On set point, Dridi delivered the decisive kill to seal the 25-23 win and give Colby a 2-0 lead in the match.

Casper responded with energy in the third set, briefly taking its first lead of the match at 12-11. Colby quickly regained control behind another double block from Mihaljica and Binda, and an ace from Mihaljica pushed the margin to 19-16. The Trojans stretched the advantage to 23-17, but Casper refused to fold, scoring four straight points to tie the set at 24. After a service error gave Colby match point, Mihaljica closed it out with a kill to secure the 27-25 victory.

The final set proved to be the toughest test of the day. After Casper took its first lead of the match at 12-11, Colby regrouped and regained control on a Mihaljica ace and strong defensive play at the net. The Trojans stretched their lead to 23-17, but the Thunderbirds rallied late to tie the set at 24. Colby held firm, capitalizing on a Casper service error before Mihaljica finished it off with a kill for the 27-25 win and the sweep.

With two victories yesterday (Aug. 30), Colby closed the Marriott Springhill Suites Cheyenne Invite at 2-2, bouncing back after a tough first day to finish unbeaten on day two. The Trojans went a perfect 6-0 in sets across their two Saturday matches, improving to 6-2 overall on the season heading into conference action. First conference game is scheduled for Wednesday (Sept. 3) at 6:30 p.m. against Garden City.