No. 7 Trojans Split Day One at Northeastern JC Tournament

STERLING, Colo. – The No. 7 Trojans split the day at the Northeastern JC Tournament in Sterling, falling to No. 15 New Mexico Military Institute in their second match after opening with a sweep of Casper College Friday (Sept. 12).

The Trojans set the tone early in the opening frame against Casper as Isadora Carrareto slammed down the first point. Casper answered quickly, but Colby's balanced attack soon took over. Karlotta Kattai and Lena Mihaljica each contributed early kills, while setter Amanda Caputi found Chiara Binda in rhythm at the net. Binda also added an ace, and moments later a Casper miscue pushed Colby's lead to 8-3, forcing a timeout. Out of the break, Binda struck again with another ace, and Mihaljica followed with a kill to keep momentum rolling. Dridi added a monster kill late in the set, and after a long Casper serve sailed out, Colby secured the 25-19 win.

The Trojans only turned up the pressure in set two. Carrareto opened with both a kill and an ace, putting Colby in control early. After Casper tied things at 4-4, Kattai hammered home a kill to swing momentum back. From there, the Trojans went on a commanding 9-0 run, highlighted by Binda's serving run and Carrareto's dominance at the net. The lead ballooned to 16-6, and despite Casper finally breaking through, Colby never looked back. Dridi finished the frame in style with an ace, giving the Trojans a 25-10 win and a 2-0 match lead.

The third set turned into a thriller. Casper battled back, trading points with the Trojans all the way into extra play. Key kills from Carrareto, Mihaljica, and Kattai kept Colby alive, while Caputi and Carrareto combined for timely blocks at the net. The Trojans showed resilience under pressure, breaking through to claim a marathon 30-28 victory and complete the sweep.

The Trojans then went toe-to-toe in a ranked showdown with No. 15 New Mexico Military Institute but ultimately fell in four hard-fought sets at the Northeastern JC Tournament.

After dropping the opener 16-25, Colby stormed back behind steady setting from Amanda Caputi and kills from Karlotta Kattai and Isadora Carrareto, grinding out a 25-23 win to even the match. The momentum carried into the third where Petra Binda and Lena Mihaljica kept the attack rolling, but NMMI edged out a narrow 25-22 decision. In the fourth, Colby's defense made a late push, but the Broncos held on 25-21 to seal the ranked battle.

The No. 7 Trojans wrapped up day one of the Northeastern JC Tournament at 1-1 and now turn their focus to a tough Saturday (Sept. 13) slate. Colby will square off with No. 9 Odessa College, fresh off a sweep of conference rival Barton, before meeting Western Nebraska. Both matches will be available via livestream.