Annandale-on-Hudson, NY – Hartwick Men's Volleyball split their road games, competing against Purchase and Bard in a weekend tri-match.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Purchase 2, Hartwick 3
- Location: Annandale-on-Hudson, NY | Stevenson Gymnasium
- Records: Purchase (1-6 0-0 Skyline) Hartwick (2-5, 0-0 DIII Independent)
HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 1)
The Hawks set out to Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, facing the Purchase Panthers in their first match of the day. Wick took the first set 25-23, heading into the second with the advantage. As a team, the Blue and White notched 11 kills from attacks evenly distributed across the net-
Anthony Ruggiero (Schenectady, NY) and
Ethan McCaw (Ilion, NY) downing three each.
Momentum was with the Hawks heading into the second, the Panthers responding with a change of pace. Their offense improved significantly, finding space on the court for their attacks. With 14 kills against them, the set slipped from the Hawks in a narrow 21-25 final.
Keegan Doherty (Methuen, MA) was able to find his way around Purchase's defense, accounting for 5 of the 9 total team kills.
Hartwick responded immediately coming into the third set, going on a three-point run.
Pedro Martins (São Paulo, Brazil) forced an error with a block assist immediately followed by a kill of his own. The Hawks tallied 15 team kills with only 4 errors, hitting a massive .367. A
Xander Steadham (Cobleskill, NY) and Doherty block marked set point, ending in 25-20, and bringing the Hawks back up.
With only one more set to win it, the Blue and White experienced pushback from the opposing Panthers, who were able to minimize offensive errors, and push Hartwick defensively. With the set tied 14-14, Purchase just about pulled away with a 6-point run. With each team only needing one more set to win it, pressure was on for both teams to take it home.
The fifth set started in a 5-0 lead for Hartwick, four of those points credited to Purchase attack errors. The Hawks managed to keep their lead as Purchase added 4 more attack errors into the mix, nearly taking themselves out of the game. At 10-3, Purchase was able to come back with 2 kills, 3 service aces, and a Hawks error- bringing them up 10-8. With only 5 more points to go, the Hawks shifted into gear adding three kills to the board, ending in a 15-10 final.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Bard 3, Hartwick 0
- Location: Annandale-on-Hudson, NY | Stevenson Gymnasium
- Records: Bard (3-5, 0-0 NEVC) Hartwick (2-6, 0-0 DIII Independent)
HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 2)
In their second match of the day, Hartwick took on the Raptors in Stevenson Gym, hoping to secure another victory. The first set ended in a final of 15-25 favoring the Raptors, who hit .391 against the Hawks, with 12 of their 25 points being kills. Doherty fought hard to give Wick an edge, collecting two points for the Blue back-to-back with a kill and a service ace. Despite the pushback, the Raptors defense remained in-tact, leading them to a 1-0 start to the match.
In the second, the Raptors pulled away with a 7-point run.
Carl DeDominicis (Oneonta, NY) went on a late 2-point service run to try to minimize the gap. The Raptors responded with a kill and two aces to take the set, ending it promptly with a final of 25-11. They hit 50% against the Hawks, heading into the third and final set with the momentum on their side.
Hartwick showed significant improvement coming into the last set. McCaw fought hard at the net, tallying a team high of 5 kills against Bard. Ruggiero and Doherty combined for 7 more,
Nate Roorbach (East Aurora, NY) building an offensive connection at the net. Bard adapted and responded to the Hawks' change of pace, building the gap with a 5-point service run. The final set ended in a 25-18 disparity, with the Raptors taking all 3 to end the match.
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.
