ONEONTA, N.Y. – Volleyball earned a straight set Empire 8 win against the SUNY Poly Wildcats, completing the sweep with set scores of 25-15, 25-20, and 25-11.
Lucille Walker (Ithaca, N.Y.) led Hartwick with 14 kills, hitting .522, while
Isabella Gracias (Oneonta, N.Y.) added 11 kills on 18 attempts for a .556.
Thylia Keoviengsamay (Rome, N.Y.) paced the offense with 31 assists, helping the Hawks finish with 39 kills and a team percentage of .310.
Defensively,
Malia Dake (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) led Hartwick with 15 digs, while Keoviengsamay added nine digs. Walker contributed six block assists, and Gracias finished with four total blocks as the Hawks recorded seven team blocks.
With the victory, Hartwick improves to 10-9 overall and 5-2 in Empire 8 play. SUNY Poly falls to 3-19 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
Hartwick set the tone early in the opening set, taking a 2-0 lead before SUNY Poly pulled even at 5-5. The Hawks responded with a strong stretch to create separation, moving ahead 13-9 behind kills from Gracias and Walker. Hartwick continued to build their advantage late, reaching set point at 24-15 before closing out the frame, 25-15, on a pair of Wildcat attack errors.
The second set opened with SUNY Poly taking a 3-0 lead, but Hartwick quickly worked its way back into the set. The teams traded points before the Hawks took control, using a run that included kills from Walker and Gracias to build a 17-12 advantage. Hartwick maintained its lead down the stretch, with
Mackenzie Cahan (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) adding a service ace and
Samantha Garback (Tully, N.Y.) delivering the set-winning kill in a 25-20 victory.
The Hawks controlled the third set from the outset, turning an early 2-2 tie into a commanding lead. Hartwick surged ahead 13-3, with Walker and Keoviengsamay contributing kills during the run. SUNY Poly attempted to respond, but the Hawks maintained their cushion and reached match point at 24-11. Hartwick secured the sweep on a SUNY Poly attack error, finishing the set 25-11.
