No. 6 Trojans Thrill Home Crowd with Sweep of Garden City
by Derek White
September 3, 2025
The Colby Community College volleyball team gave the home fans exactly what they were hoping for in their season debut at the Colby Event Center: energy, dominance, and plenty of highlights. Backed by a packed house and an electric student section, the No. 6-ranked Trojans swept Garden City Community College in straight sets, 25-23, 25-13, 25-13 on September 3.
The night didn’t start smoothly. A handful of miscues saw the Broncbusters grab a 14-8 lead in the opening frame, forcing Colby to regroup. Fueled by crisp serves, timely kills, and loud crowd support, Colby stormed back to take its first lead at 20-19. They closed out the set with poise, 25-23, proving they were ready to defend their home floor.
From there, Colby never looked back. The Trojans roared out of the gate in set two, building a 6-1 lead before Garden City called a timeout. It didn’t help. Behind relentless hitting and pressure at the service line, Colby pushed the advantage to 17-8 and rolled to a dominant 25-13 finish. The third set mirrored the second — the Broncbusters simply couldn’t keep pace as the Trojans’ front line and servers dismantled their rhythm, closing the match in another 25-13 victory.
The balanced attack showed why Colby is a top-ten team in the NJCAA. Ella Dridi was the star of the night, unleashing 15 kills on .480 hitting, while adding three block assists and six digs. Her presence at the net had Garden City scrambling all evening.
Isadora Carrareto was flawless offensively, recording 10 kills on a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage while also serving three aces. Lena Mihaljica and Karlotta Kattai chipped in nine kills apiece, with Kattai pacing the defense with 11 digs and an eye-popping five service aces.
Setter Amanda Caputi orchestrated the offense brilliantly, distributing 38 assists that kept Colby’s attack balanced and unpredictable. As a team, Colby hit .386 compared to Garden City’s .167, served up 12 aces, and out-dug their opponent 33-19
Beyond the numbers, the atmosphere made the night special. The Event Center was buzzing from the first serve, with fans packing the stands and the student body creating a lively backdrop. A new mascot was also unveiled, drawing plenty of cheers and adding to the festive feel of the evening.
With the win, Colby improved to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in Kansas Jayhawk Conference play, while Garden City fell to 2-7 and 0-1. The Trojans return to action Saturday, September 6, hosting Cloud County at 2 p.m. inside the Event Center, aiming to extend their early-season momentum.