BOX SCORE
West Hartford, Conn. - Freshman Jackie Tamburri didn't look much like a rookie as she led her squad to a third straight match of impressive hitting as the Hawks (6-6 overall) defeated Quinnipiac for their third-straight three-set victory, closing out the Hartford/Quinnipiac Invitational with a 3-1 overall record. Tamburri and junior Kami Nethersole were named to the All-Tournament team, the second time this season the pair has been honored together.
Overall, Tamburri led the Hawks to a .275 hitting percentage with 48 total kills and 15 errors in 120 attacks. Leading the way was Kami Nethersole who finished with 13 kills and three errors in 38 total attacks for a .263 average. Finishing just under double digit kills was senior Michelle Cordell and sophomore Lindsay Anderson who each finished with nine kills. Anderson finished the match with just one error in 16 total attacks for a .500 hitting average.
Tamburri finished the match with 39 assists, of the teams 45 total. She also added seven digs and three kills to her credit. Defensively, Sareeta Nethersole led the team with 14 assists, her eighth game with double figure digs. She was the only Hawks player to finish with double figure digs. Joining her in leading the way was Kami Nethersole with nine and Dionna Kirton and Saara Carissimi, who each finished with eight.
The Hawks defensive efforts held the visitors to just .065 hitting with no players contributing more than six kills. Brittanie Robinson and Taylor Payne combined to lead the team with six kills apiece. The team finished with a total of 26 kills and suffered 19 errors in 108 total attacks. Libero Tracy Wright led all players in the match with 17 digs.
The Hawks never trailed in any of the three sets against Quinnipiac, leading by their largest margin in the second set. The Bobcats kept things close in the first set, with the Hawks largest lead of five coming at 15-10, before the road warriors battled to tie the match at 19. The Hawks then pulled away to secure the match with Sareeta Nethersole providing the final offense on a kill off Tamburri's assist.
The Hawks largest lead came at 20-10 in the second set, made possible off of early runs of three, four and four. The first run of four came during Cordell's service as she put down back-to-back aces. The closest the Bobcats came during the second set came in the early moments at 2-2.
The Hawks best hitting came in the third set with a .350 average, smashing 18 kills and suffering just four errors in 40 total attempts. Kami Nethersole finished this set alone with seven kills and only one error in 16 total swings. The third set was also the lowest hitting percentage Quinnipiac was held to at .028 (seven kills and six errors in 36 attempts).
After playing their last five at home, the Hawks will play their next four on the road before hosting New Hampshire for the America East opener on September 24. The next time out the Hawks will visit Bryant for a mid-week single match tilt with the Bulldogs. The match will be a re-match of an earlier season feive-set victory for the Hawks at the Army Invitational. The Hawks and Bulldogs are set tangle at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday night.
