ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hawks take down Nazareth in three sets to bring them soaring upwards to 4-1 in conference play.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Nazareth 0 Hartwick 3

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Lambros Stadium

• Records: Nazareth (0-18, 0-4 Empire 8) Hartwick (12-10, 4-1 Empire 8) 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Braelyn Hornick (Candor, N.Y.) once again fueled the offense, making up 23 of the Hawks' total 27 assists of the day. 

• Sophia Palladino (Owego, N.Y.) and Shelby Swartz (Candor, N.Y.) would also make waves as each of them picked up 8 kills. Palladino on defense would be credited with 10 digs.

• A combined effort of Swartz and Malia Dake (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) on service would secure 6 aces of the Hawks' total 10.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Though Nazareth would snag the first point, the Hawks would come out hot to capitalize off attacking errors from the Golden Flyers while Dake snagged her first service ace of the day. Swartz would then tally consecutive kills on the offensive drive to push the Hawks up to a 6-3 lead. The errors on the part of the Golden Flyers just kept coming, as the Hawks soon widened their lead to a 7-point margin. Though Nazareth made a great attempt to come back and even tie the Hawks at one point, several more errors followed by another ace from Dake and a kill from Samantha Garback (Tully, N.Y.) was enough for 'Wick to come out on top in the first.

The Golden Flyers started out the second by leading the Hawks in points nearly the entirety of the second set, but the Hawks soon pulled away off four kills by Palladino and three consecutive service aces from Swartz. It was Isabella Gracias (Oneonta, N.Y.) to snag the final kill and secure the second set for 'Wick 25-17.

Both teams were neck-and-neck in the third as the Golden Flyers fought to stay in the match and stifle their 0-17 losing streak this season, but the Hawks would again draw a major lead off of six consecutive attacking errors from incredible serves by Palladino. To follow it up, Thylia Keoviengsamay (Rome, N.Y.) would send over three serves that would lead up to kills from Gracias and Palladino and bring the Hawks to a 24-13 advantage. The Golden Flyers would again fight for a comeback, but another kill from Gracias would shut them down and give Hartwick the win.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will continue to defend their home court as they match up against their final non-conference opponent of the year, SUNY Delhi, on Wednesday, October 15th at 6PM.

About Hartwick College:

Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.