ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick volleyball lost in three sets (24-26, 9-25, 27-29) to Ithaca in the Hartwick/Holiday Inn Tournament opening match on Friday evening at 'Wick's Lambros Arena. The Hawks were neck and neck with Ithaca in both the first and third set but the Bombers came out on top in both. Hartwick drops to 7-15 on the season while the Bombers improve to 19-4 overall.
           
Ithaca led for a majority of the first set. The Bombers pushed their advantage to four points late, 20-16, but Hartwick responded with five straight points to take a 21-20 lead. Sophomore Hannah Armstrong (Lansing, NY/Lansing) had two kills in the rally and senior Christine Confer (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) added a block in the 'Wick rally.
           
Later, Hartwick faced two set points, 24-22, but the Hawks fought to tie it again after an Armstrong ace. IC would get the next two points, however, with Dylan Gawinski Stern finishing it off with a kill, 26-24.
           
The second set was dominated by the Bombers as they scored the first eight points and never looked back. They held at least a seven-point advantage for the rest of the set, taking it 25-9.
           
The Hawks flipped the script in the third set as they jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. They increased the margin to as many as five, 19-14, but seven of the next eight points went to Ithaca who surged ahead, 21-20.
           
Hartwick twice had set point but couldn't close it out. On both occasions, Hawk service aces kept the set going. The score was 27-27 when Gawinski Stern made it 28-27 Bombers on a kill and a 'Wick error on the next point gave Ithaca the set and the match, 29-27.

Armstrong led a trio of players with at least seven kills. She had eight with Rosa Maun (Redstone, CO/Roaring Fork) and Mary Beth DeCuyke (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) chipping in seven apiece. Kayla Baril (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk) added five kills.
           
Quincy Kinzel (Scotia, NY/Guilderland) registered 28 assists and seven digs in the match. Alyssa Zeitler (Chardon, OH/Berkshire) had a team-high 12 digs. Baril and Armstrong each had nine.

Hartwick hosts Oswego and Brockport on Saturday to conclude play at the tournament.