ELMIRA, NY – 'Wick's volleyball team played a pair of Empire 8 matches at Elmira College's Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks dropped a 3-1 (16-25, 29-27, 18-25, 13-25) decision to Nazareth and then suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 30-28, 25-27, 14-16) defeat to the host Soaring Eagles.
           
Against the Golden Flyers, Naz took the opening set 25-16. The Hawks trailed by a 17-14 margin, but five straight Flyer points would increase the edge to eight, 22-14. Nazareth would claim three of the next five points to take a 1-0 set lead.
           
The Hawks evened the match at 1-1 in the second. They grabbed a 9-2 lead early only to have the Golden Flyers chip away at it until they earned the advantage 21-20. Later, 'Wick would fight off set points at three different times thanks to kills from Dana Martin (Chester, NY/Burke Catholic), Rosa Maun (Redstone, CO/Roaring Fork), and Kayla Baril (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk). Baril's kill knotted the score at 27-27 and following a Hannah Armstrong (Lansing, NY/Lansing) service ace, Martin finished the set off with a kill to even the set count at one.
           
Naz scored seven of the first eight points in the third set to take the early advantage. Naz led by eight, 19-11, but five straight points trimmed the deficit to three. The Golden Flyers would tally six of the next eight points for a 2-1 lead.
           
The fourth set was close with Naz holding a slim edge. Leading 12-9, The Golden Flyers then rattled off 13 of the final 17 points to close out the victory.
           
Baril led Hartwick offensively with 13 kills. Maun finished with nine kills while hitting .600 for the match. Martin had nine kills and a team-high 14 digs. Quincy Kinzel (Scotia, NY/Guilderland) contributed 32 assists and 10 digs.
           
In the first set against Elmira, the Hawks trailed by as many as seven points but rallied back. The Soaring Eagles were in front 21-16 but seven straight points put 'Wick in front, 23-21. A kill and then an ace from Martin capped the comeback and the Hawks had the first set.
           
In the second set EC led 22-17, but a four-point rally, aided by two Maun kills, cut it to one, 22-21. It was all even at 23-23 until an Elmira kill and an ace evened the match.
           
Elmira led for much of the third set but the Hawks drew even late. The Hawks had two chances to put the set away but couldn't convert. Finally at 28-28, an Elmira error followed by a Baril kill put Hartwick back on top, 2-1.
           
Hartwick's lead was as big as six points in the fourth set. It went down to the wire once again after Elmira fought back. Hartwick served for the match at 24-23 but a Hawk service error gave the Soaring Eagles life. The score was tied at 25-25 and then back to back errors by the Hawks handed EC the set.
           
In the fifth and deciding set, EC jumped in front 13-5 and was just two points from the match. The Hawks rallied once again, this time registering seven consecutive points, to pull to 13-12. EC pushed its advantage to 14-12 but a Baril kill and an EC error pulled the Hawks even, 14-14. The rally would fall short, however, as two straight Soaring Eagles kills sealed the 3-2 victory.
           
Martin recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 kills and 15 digs. Baril ended the match with 14 a season-high kills and nine digs. Alyssa Zeitler (Chardon, OH/Berkshire) led the defense with a career-high 25 digs. Kinzel had a career-high 45 assists and she accumulated 15 digs.
           
Maun registered nine kills and Mary Beth DeCuyke (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) contributed eight.   
           
Next up for the Hawks is a Tuesday night home match against Morrisville State. The match will also serve as Hartwick College Senior Night. Martin and Christine Confer (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) will be recognized prior to the contest.