ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Hawks battled through two closely contested sets in the 3-0 sweep of Utica in the Empire 8 Semifinal match to advance to the Championship match tomorrow.
 
THE BASICS
 

• Final Score:  Hartwick 3, Utica 1 (25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19)
• Location:  Rochester, N.Y.
• Record:  Hartwick (19-4, 8-1 Empire 8), Utica (17-12, 4-6 Empire 8)

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
 

• The Hawks found themselves down 10-3 early in the first set as the Pioneers forced the #2 seed in the tournament into a handful of attack errors.
• After an early timeout, Hartwick clawed their way back in as the duo of Colette Maloney (Williston Park, N.Y.) and Staecia Silofau (Kapolei, Hawaii) turned the seven-point deficit to a one-point advantage.
• Shaelyn Thornton (Scarborough, Me.) put away three kills in the middle of the set to give the Hawks the push they needed to close out the first set win 25-23.
• The second set proved to be a more back-and-forth affair.  However, strong defense at the net by the Hartwick front row gave the squad the push needed to take the second set by a score of 25-20.
• The Hawks took complete control of the third set, defeating the Pioneers 25-15.
• Hartwick's offense was balanced throughout the contest.  Maloney led the way with 11 kills.  Kaileigh Brandow (Manorville, N.Y.) and Thornton each added nine.
• Niah Reeves (Binghamton, N.Y.) was a big contributor at the net for the Hawks, as the first-year middle put away four kills and one block assist.
• Brandow, Thornton, and Silofau each picked up double digit digs over the three sets.
• Braelyn Hornick (Candor, N.Y.) once again posted 30+ assists and served up four aces.
• The victory tonight was also one for the record books for the Hawks as they reached the 20-win mark for the first time in recent program history.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
 
Hartwick will square off in the Empire 8 Championship match against top-seeded St. John Fisher at 2 PM.
 
HARTWICK COLLEGE
 
One of the oldest colleges in the country, Hartwick has continually evolved for 225 years. The College's exciting new chapter is called FlightPath, a future-focused approach to education. Offering a distinctive blend of curricular, co-curricular and real-world work experiences, FlightPath builds on Hartwick's long history of integrating broad-based studies with experiential learning.
 
Hartwick College is a nationally ranked independent college of the arts and sciences located in picturesque Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The College offers 35 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, two master's degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education. For more information, visit www.Hartwick.edu.