UNION, N.J. - The Hartwick Women's Volleyball team split their season opening tri-match, falling to the Kean Cougars but bouncing back to defeat Trine University at Kean University on Friday afternoon.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hartwick 1 Kean 3

• Location: Union, N.J. | Harwood Arena

• Records: Hartwick (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8) Kean (1-0, 0-0 NJAC)

BY THE NUMBERS (vs Kean)

• Isabella Gracias (Oneonta, N.Y.) led the charge offensively with 17 kills, falling one short of her career high.

• Braelyn Hornick (Candor, N.Y.) was the game leader in assists, racking up 41 out of 46 total team assists.

• In the two teams first matchup in nine years, Kean pushed their win streak to two, taking a 3-2 win in 2016 and the upper hand in the series.

HOW IT HAPPENED (vs Kean)

The Hawks returned to the hardwood for their first matchup of 2025, facing a tough Kean Cougars squad that reached the NJAC Tournament last season.

The opening set was a marathon, with both teams trading points in a tightly contested battle. Kean managed the largest lead of the set at four, but the Hawks stormed back to tie it at 17, sparked by a service ace from Sophia Palladino (Owego, N.Y.) and a kill by Shelby Swartz (Candor, N.Y.) off Palladino's assist.

Neither side backed down, but clutch kills from Gracias and Swartz sealed the set for the Hawks in a dramatic 32-30 finish.

The second set saw Kean open strong with four straight points before the Hawks responded. Despite a hard-fought effort, errors proved costly as Kean evened the match with a 25-22 win.

From there, the Cougars took control. While the Hawks continued to fight—never trailing by more than five points and responding with runs of their own—Kean ultimately claimed the next two sets, 25-19 and 25-21, to secure the match.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Trine 0 Hartwick 3

• Location: Union, N.J. | Harwood Arena

• Records: Trine (0-1, 0-0 MIAA) Hartwick (1-1, 0-0 Empire 8) 
   

BY THE NUMBERS (vs Trine)

• Swartz was a force to be reckoned with, hammering down 10 kills and collecting 13 digs to lead all players.

• Hornick continues to do what she does best, putting up 25 assists on great efficiency to help fuel the Hawk attack.

• Lucille Walker (Ithaca, N.Y.) had a great day on the offensive end, piling up nine points after a 14 point performance against Kean.
   

HOW IT HAPPENED (vs Trine)

After a hard-fought battle against Kean earlier in the day, Hartwick bounced back in a big way, securing their first win of the season with a 3-0 sweep of Trine University.

The Hawks started slow in the opening set but quickly found their rhythm, surging ahead by as many as 10 points behind a balanced team effort to take the first set convincingly.

Trine pushed back in the second, but the offensive firepower of Swartz, Palladino, and Gracias proved too much for the Thunder. After a brief run of errors allowed Trine to close the gap, Malia Dake (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) delivered two key service aces to regain momentum and close out the set, 25-22.

The third set saw Trine jump out to a 13-9 lead thanks to a pair of aces, but Hartwick refused to back down. Hornick and Swartz sparked the comeback with timely kills, cutting the deficit in half. From there, aces by Mary Kinnane (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) and Swartz put the Hawks back in front for good. Hartwick held strong down the stretch to seal the win and cap off a complete team performance.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will head to Montclair State for the Montclair State Tournament on Saturday, August 30th, taking on Washington College (Md.) at 2PM and Montclair State at 4PM.

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.