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Hartwick College Athletics

Isabella Gracias, Samantha Garback, Shelby Swartz Celebration- Women's Volleyball
Hartwick Athletic Communications
2
SUNY Brockport Brock 17-9,9-2 Empire 8
3
Winner Hartwick Hart 21-10,10-1 Empire 8
SUNY Brockport Brock
17-9,9-2 Empire 8
2
Final
3
Hartwick Hart
21-10,10-1 Empire 8
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
SUNY Brockport Brock 25 25 21 19 6 (2)
Hartwick Hart 22 18 25 25 15 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Hawks Rally for 3-2 Reverse Sweep Over No.3 Seed Brockport to Advance to E8 Finals

 

ONEONTA, N.Y. – After overtaking the No.3 seeded Brockport Golden Eagles 3-2 at home in semifinal action, the women's volleyball program is headed to the Empire 8 Championship Finals match for the first time since 2022.

THE BASICS

  • Final Score: Brockport 2 Hartwick 3

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

  • Records: Brockport (17-8, 9-2 Empire 8) Hartwick (20-10, 10-1 Empire 8)

 

BY THE NUMBERS

  • Leaders in kills were Lucille Walker (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Shelby Swartz (Candor, N.Y.), who both tallied 16 kills apiece. Swartz would also lead in service aces, tallying up 3.

  • Braelyn Hornick (Candor, N.Y.) again commanded the offense with a total of 45 assists to make up for 78% of the Hawks' assists.

  • On the defensive side, Malia Dake (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) would stand out with 22 digs while Samantha Garback (Tully, N.Y.) amassed 8 total blocks.

  • With tonight's victory, the Hawks are Empire 8 Championship finals-bound for the first time since 2022.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawks would be the ones to strike first in this heated semifinals matchup, with Swartz delivering the first kill to get Hartwick on the board early. Walker and Isabella Gracias (Oneonta, N.Y.) would keep the momentum going by leading the offensive charge, but Brockport would answer back with a relentless fury to take both the first and second set.

With the match on the line, the Hawks exploded in the third set, with combined efforts from Hornick, Walker, and Sophia Palladino (Owego, N.Y.) bringing the Hawks to an 11-point lead. Swartz was all over the court to bury multiple kills– including the final of the set– to keep the Hawks' championship final hopes alive.

The fourth set opened off of four critical serves from Palladino, who gave Walker and Swartz the opening to attack early. However, the Golden Eagles fought hard to knot the fourth set several times. Despite these efforts, several aces from Swartz on service and a streak of four consecutive kills from Walker would give the Hawks the edge to take the fourth and force a deciding fifth set.

In the crucial fifth set, the Royal Blue and White would exploit several Brockport errors off serves from Dake combined with kills from Swartz to pull ahead for a solid 8-1 lead. The Golden Eagles made a valiant effort to stay in the match, but they were overpowered by the Hawks' offense. The Hawks would secure the majority of sets to advance onto the Empire 8 Championship Finals.


 

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The No.2 seeded Hawks will take on the No.1 seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals in the Empire 8 Championship Finals on the road on Saturday, November 15th at 1PM.

 

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.

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