PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Hartwick volleyball team had a repeat of day one of the Cardinal Classic in the wins and losses column on Saturday, claiming victory in their first match against Sage and dropping their later match against Plymouth State. The Hawks are now 2-2 on the season. Kayley Ericson (Franklin, CT/Norwich Free Academy) was named to the All-Tournament Team, as she averaged 25 assists and 5.25 digs over the four matches.

Match One vs. Sage (3-0; 25-17, 26-24, 25-21)

• The Hawks went down by four early, losing 7-3, but were able to tie it up at eight, thanks in part to two kills from Myla Dobson (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake).
• The teams continued to battle, with their scores eventually coming back together at 16-apiece.
• From there, 'Wick took control. They won the next three points on two kills, one each from Maria Sorriento (Troy, NY/Troy) and Colette Maloney (Williston Park, NY/Mineola), and a service ace off the hand off Sorriento. After the Gators got the next point to make it 19-17, the Hawks won the next six to take the set. Celia Gagnon (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) had two aces and a kill over that span.
• Hartwick had to keep battling back from modest deficits in game two, overcoming 8-4, 15-11, and 21-17 disadvantages. They eventually tied it up at 22-all, and then used kills by Dobson and Gagnon (both from Ericson) with the score 24-24 to take set two and push Sage to the brink.
• Sage went up big early, thanks in part to some 'Wick mistakes. With the score 10-3, coach Jim Clar called a timeout to rest his squad.
• The Hawks went to work following the break, winning the next four points to bring the score to 10-7. After a kill by Sage's Caitlyn Class, Hartwick won the next four points to tie the set at 11-all.
• The teams stayed within two points of each other for most of the rest of the game, but with the Gators up 21-20, the Hawks finished the match on a 5-0 run.  Kiera Walsh (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) had an ace and a kill during that run.
• Dobson led all players with 11 kills, also contributing five digs.
• Maloney had another solid match, tying with Katie Boak (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) for the game-high of 16 digs, registering five kills, and putting up five block assists (another game high)
• Ericson did most of the setting, dishing out 25 assists and also digging the ball five times.
• The Hawks have now beaten the Gators in three straight matches, dating back to 2017.

Match Two vs. Plymouth State (0-3; 17-25, 24-26, 22-25)

• The Hawks had trouble with the Panthers, as the score was almost an exact mirror image of their first match of the day.
• Plymouth State went ahead 6-1 early and never let up, at one point going up by as much as ten points before the set ended with a margin of eight.
• Hartwick started out the second game 6-0, but the Panthers stuck with it, making it a close game. 'Wick eventually re-lengthened their lead to 22-18, but a later 5-0 run from Plymouth State gave them a 24-23 lead. Kaitlyn Ludder's (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park) kill tied the game once again, but the Panthers took the next two points for a second-set win.
• Plymouth took a comfortable five-point lead early on in set three and never let the Hawks get all that close, eventually taking a 25-22 win to end the match.
• Dobson once again led all players in kills, with 14, and also had eight digs.
• Ericson bested her assist total from match one, this time registering 33 helpers.
• Boak led the Hawks with 11 digs, Maloney had eight digs and five kills, and Gagnon had seven kills, three aces, and three digs.
• This was Hartwick's first ever meeting against Plymouth State.

The Hawks are back at it next Friday, August 6, when they travel to Williamsport for the Lycoming Tournament. They will take on host Lycoming at 4 p.m. and Elizabethtown at 6 p.m., and then play Alfred State (11 a.m.) and University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (1 p.m.) the next day.

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