ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY – The Hartwick volleyball team swept their tri-match on Saturday afternoon, winning matches against Mount Saint Mary and host Bard in very different fashions. They bested the Knights in five sets in their early match and swept through the home Raptors later on. The Hawks are now 9-5 on the season, the best start through 14 matches in program history.

Match One vs. Mount Saint Mary (3-2; 26-28, 25-14, 24-26, 25-16, 15-12)

• The Hawks lost a pair of close sets in this match, blew out the Knights in two more, and edged their opponent in a decisive fifth set.
• The first set went back and forth for a while, although Mount Saint Mary eventually took a 14-9 lead. The Hawks immediately responded with four straight points to close the gap to one, and eventually took the lead on another 4-0 run giving them a 19-8 advantage. 'Wick had two set points up 24-22, but a kill and an ace from Grace Riddle then a kill from Danielle Kralik put Mount Saint Mary up, 25-24. Hartwick tied it at 25 and then the teams traded points before the Knights won on a Hawk attack error, 28-26.
• Hartwick took control early, winning the set's first five points thanks in part to two Colette Maloney (Williston Park, NY/Mineola) kills. They lengthened their lead out to 15-6, and although Mount Saint Mary would narrow their deficit to six at one point, the Hawks rattled off five more points in a row to give them a 24-13 lead and essentially put the set away.
• The Knights again won a two-point set in game three. Hartwick found themselves up 10-6 when Celia Gagnon (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) followed up a Toria Betelak (North Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) kill with an ace. The Hawks maintained that lead, winning 15-10 before Mount Saint Mary won seven of the next eight points on multiple Hartwick errors. The teams found themselves tied at 22-all before trading the next four points, and the Knights took the last two rallies on two more 'Wick errors.
• Like the second set, Hartwick again controlled play early, leading 6-2, but Mount Saint Mary tied it at 9-all. The Hawks won the next four points, however, and while leading 14-12 won six more in a row thanks in part to three straight Maloney aces to take a commanding 20-12 lead. The Knights tightened it to 21-16, but Kaitlyn Ludder (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park) rattled off a kill and two aces (sandwiching an opponent attack error) to send the match to five sets. 
• With Mount Saint Mary up 5-4 in the fifth set, Hartwick took six of the next seven points to lead, 10-6. The Knights would bring it within one at 12-11 and 13-12, but committed attack errors on the final two points of the match.
• As per usual, Maloney led all players with 14 kills, putting up her fourth double-double in five games with 15 digs, as well as a game-high four aces.
• Ludder set her season high at 12 kills, and had five digs, three aces, and three blocks to boot.
• Betelak registered 10 kills and an impressive six blocks, her career high. Gagnon had 10 digs, seven kills, three blocks, and a pair of aces.
• Katie Boak (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) led the Hawks with 19 digs, adding two aces as well. Kayley Ericson (Franklin, CT/Norwich Free Academy) contributed 12 digs to go with her game-high 41 assists.
• The Hawks are now 5-0 all time against Mount Saint Mary.

Match Two vs. Bard (3-0; 25-16, 25-18, 25-20)

• The Hawks had a much easier go of it in their second match of the day, sweeping Bard in three sets that they won by at least five points each.
• Gagnon had the game lead in kills this time, with 10, and also had two service aces and two blocks.
• Maloney had six kills, eight digs, and two blocks; Kiera Walsh (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) was second on the team with eight kills and had six digs. 
• Boak led again with 11 digs, while Ericson was right behind at 10 digs. Ericson also had 22 assists, leading all players.
• Ludder had five kills and tied Betelak for a game-high three assists.
• 'Wick is now 5-1 all time against Bard.

The Hawks are back home next weekend for Empire 8 Conference play, taking on Alfred on Friday, September 27 at 6 p.m. and Houghton on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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