Oneonta, NY – Elmira and Houghton made an appearance on Neal Miller Court for a weekend tri-match against the Hartwick Hawks, who split their matches for the day coming out with a win.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Elmira 3, Hartwick 0
- Location: Oneonta, NY | Lambros Arena
- Records: Elmira (11-9, 0-4 UVC) Hartwick (4-16, 0-0 DIII Independent)
HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 1 vs. Elmira)
The Hawks faced off with the Soaring Eagles to open their weekend, coming up short in three hard fought sets. Hartwick stayed on Elmira's tails in the first, narrowly dropping the set 20-25. The Hawks were able to notch 8 kills,
Ethan McCaw (Ilion, NY),
Matt Ramirez (Rome, NY) and
Nate Roorbach (East Aurora, NY) leading the charge with two kills each.
Heading into the second, the Hawks fought hard to stay in it, but Elmira found themselves in an early surge. The Soaring Eagles found defensive openings, downing ten kills throughout the set. Roorbach used middle hitter,
Matt Ramirez, as his outlet- who gained a team high of two kills in the set. The Hawks dropped the second 19-25, putting them down two sets to none.
With momentum on their side, Elmira went on a 7-point run to take the third and final set- closing the match 25-13.
Ethan McCaw and
Matt Ramirez led the Blue and White with 4 kills each.
Anthony Ruggiero (Schenectady, NY) knocked down two aces from behind the service line, along with tallying 3 blocks. Roorbach led the offense with 11 assists, along with the defense with 6 digs and 3 blocks of his own.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Houghton 2, Hartwick 3
- Location: Oneonta, NY | Lambros Arena
- Records: Houghton (4-16, 3-2 AMCC) Hartwick (5-16, 0-0 DIII Independent)
HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 2 vs. Houghton)
Coming off of a loss in their first match of the day, the Blue and White responded with brand new energy going into their second game. Middle,
Badr Aly (East Syracuse, NY) saw more action at the net, downing his first of two kills to bring the Hawks up. McCaw, Doherty, and Ruggiero also notched two kills, contributing to the team total of 10. Hartwick showed significant improvement offensively but still had yet to find their rhythm. The Highlanders narrowly scraped the first set with a 25-19 win.
The Hawks responded heavily, taking the second set 25-13. Ruggiero opened the scoring, paving the way for a Roorbach ace to bring the Hawks in front. Ruggiero led the team with 7 kills and an ace, pushing Houghton's defense to its limit. Ramirez went on a five-point service run to widen the gap, Roorbach following suit with a six-point run of his own. The Hawks came out on top in the third set as well,
Keegan Doherty (Methuen, MA) finding defensive openings with 4 kills and an ace. The third set ended in a final of 25-18, putting Hartwick up 2 sets to 1.
The Highlanders fought back heading into the fourth, going on a seven-point run to open the scoring. Doherty and Ruggiero each tallied a kill to regain serve, but Houghton found themselves on another scoring run, bringing them ahead by seven more points. Although an extensive effort by the Blue and White, the Highlanders found a way to tie the match, ending the set 25-19, forcing a fifth and final to determine the game.
In a race to 15 points, Ruggiero knocked down 5 consecutive kills, putting Hartwick in a more than ideal position. Roorbach added an ace to further the gap, the Highlanders trailing behind. The Blue and White lost the serve briefly,
Matt Ramirez downing an essential kill from the middle to regain possession. An ace by
Ethan McCaw sealed the deal, ending the final set in a 15-19 win. Ruggiero led the team with 22 kills and 3 aces. Roorbach put up an impressive 47 assists, 3 aces, and 14 digs. McCaw led the defensive charge with 17 digs and a block, while
Matt Ramirez defended the net with 3 of his own.
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.
