ONEONTA, N.Y. – Despite battling hard, the Hawks would fall to the No.1 seeded St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Championship final round in three gritty sets.
THE BASICS
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Final Score: St. John Fisher 3 Hartwick 0
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Location: Pittsford, N.Y. | Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium
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Records: St. John Fisher (29-1, 11-0 Empire 8) Hartwick (21-11, 10-1 Empire 8)
BY THE NUMBERS
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The match tonight marked Hartwick's first appearance in the Empire 8 Championship finals since 2022, as well as Janet Donovan's first E8 Championship final appearance since her promotion to head coach of the program.
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The St. John Fisher Cardinals took down the Hawks in three straight sets with the same score of 25-18 in each set.
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Though the Cardinals led in nearly every statistical category, the Hawks held a 8-6 edge in service aces, with Mary Kinnane (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) making up half of them.
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On defense, Isabella Gracias (Oneonta, N.Y.) would lead both teams with 2.5 blocks. Malia Dake (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) would also lead the Hawks with 11 digs.
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Lucille Walker (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Braelyn Hornick (Candor, NY)) were persistent on the offense, with Walker making up for 9 of the Hawks' 22 kills while Hornick accounted for 19 of 20 assists.
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Senior Ellie Kalbach (Spring City, Pa.), a nursing major, was also named the Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Torchbearer recipient, an honor given out to the player with the highest GPA of the two final teams competing.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hawks faced a difficult opponent in their host– the No.1 seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals, who have secured championship victories in five of the past six years– but the Royal Blue and White were the ones to strike first as Walker and Hornick combined to get the first point. However, the Cardinals would answer back to gain a six-point lead. The Hawks would manage to cut the deficit down by exploiting several St. John Fisher errors while Shelby Swartz (Candor, N.Y.) picked up an ace on service, although the Cardinals soon began to pull away again. Walker on the attack would pick up four more kills in the first set alone, though they would drop the first set.
The second saw a similar story, though the Hawks would manage to hold a lead for the first time in the match. It was a neck-and-neck race to the 25th point, with Hartwick soon leading 10-7 off a Kinanne service ace and blocks from Walker and Gracias. St. John Fisher rallied to keep the match within one point until they pulled away with consistent kills to take the second set.
St. John Fisher only continued their forward drive in the third, gaining a substantial lead despite combined attacking efforts from Gracias, Walker, and Sophia Palladino (Owego, N.Y.) as well as two aces from Kalbach. Although the Hawks fought hard, their efforts fell just short and finished the Empire 8 Championship Tournament as the runner-up to the No.1 seeded St. John Fisher.
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The women's volleyball season has not concluded just yet, with the Hawks set to compete in the ECAC Tournament. More information to come.
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.
