Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ONEONTA, NY- The women's volleyball team hosted Ithaca and Stevens in two key Empire 8 matches on Saturday afternoon at Lambros Arena.
Hartwick dropped its first match of the day to the Bombers 3-2 (25-14, 21-25, 26-24, 18-25, 12-15). The first set was back and forth as both teams traded points. Hartwick managed to hold leads of 11-7 and 16-11 to pull away. The Hawks ended the set on a 5-1 run to go up 1-0 in the match.

The Bombers came out ahead in the second set 7-4 and had as much as a 10-6 lead. A 6-2 'Wick run, however, would even the set at 12. Hartwick would eventually go up 15-14 but Ithaca would come back to go on top 23-19 and claim the set 25-21.

Ithaca again would lead early in the third set as it led by as much as 12-5. The Hawks would mount a brief rally to make it 17-14 but Ithaca would regain its seven-point lead at 21-14. Hartwick would rally yet again and an 11-3 run would give the Hawks their first lead of the set at 25-24. The Hawks would win the set when Hannah Strom's (Kenmore, WA/Inglemoor) serve struck the net and bounced over for the game-winning point.

Hartwick started off the fourth set with a 7-5 edge but Ithaca would come back and lead by as much as 20-11 at one point. 'Wick would narrow the deficit with a 5-0 run to make it 20-16 but he Bombers would close out the set with a 5-2 run of their own to win 25-18.

In the deciding fifth set, Hartwick got off to a 9-4 lead and was poised to win the match but Ithaca would rally to tie the set at nine-all with five straight points.  Both teams would be tied at 12 before Ithaca would score the game's final three points to win the set and the match.

Britney Lintner (Ravena, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) had a double-double for Hartwick with 16 digs and 33 assists. Brianna Eckert (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) led the team with 18 digs. Strom contributed 11 kills and seven digs. Christina Vitale (Port Jefferson Station, NY/St. John the Baptist) chipped in 11 digs.

The Hawks dropped their second match to the Ducks 3-0 (23-25, 13-15, 18-25). Hartwick led by as much as 18-9 in the first set but a 13-4 Stevens' run tied the set at 22-all and the Ducks rallied to take the set.

The Ducks scored the second set's first seven points as the team built leads of 10-2 and 15-4 to eventually win 25-13. Stevens led the third set 12-7 before the Hawks closed the gap to 21-18 but the Ducks would score the final four points to win the set and match.

Linter had 13 assists against the Ducks. Eckert contributed 10 digs while Strom had six kills and seven digs.

Hartwick will face Cazenovia on the road Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.