The Bison volleyball team’s record fell below .500, dropping against Colgate on Oct. 20 and Army West Point on Oct. 21. Their record is now 10-12 overall, 4-6 in the Patriot League.

The Orange and Blue fought hard against the Raiders, but couldn’t pull out a win against the fifth-ranked team in the league. The Bison led the first set 24-21 after an ace by Blake Buchholz ’19, but Colgate rallied to steal the set away. Sophie Bullard ’20 had seven kills in the first set alone. Overall, Bullard recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs. Teammate Hailey Stout ’18 finished with 11 kills and nine digs, while Buchholz wasn’t too far behind with seven kills and 10 digs.

The Bison beat Colgate for the first time in 13 meetings earlier this season, but couldn’t get the victory in the repeat match-up. The Orange and Blue haven’t swept the Raiders in a season series since 2006.

West Point entered the game on a five-game winning streak, and the Bison just weren’t able to stop the momentum. After a kill from Celeste Barker ’18 put the Orange and Blue in the lead, the Black Knights scored the final five points of the set to win it 25-23. Brooke Stark ’20 led the Bison with 15 digs, while Bullard and Anna Carroll ’ 21 had seven and six kills, respectively.

Mimi Richards ’20 finished with a .389 hitting percentage with nine kills. Richards has totaled 104 block assists on the season, currently ranking second-most in a single season in program history. She also tops the league, averaging 1.47 blocks per game this season to date.

It was the team’s fourth straight loss to the Black Knights, who rank second in the Patriot League with an 8-2 Patriot League record. The Bison are now tied for fifth place with Colgate in conference standings, with identical 4-6 league records. The Orange and Blue are still in the playoff picture, but, with only six games remaining, they will need to pull off some stunning upsets to move up to the fourth and final seed.

The Bison will take on Lafayette on the road on Oct. 28.