BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Hartford volleyball team opened the Buffalo Volleyball Blue and White Classic on Friday afternoon with a three-set (25-19, 25-16, 25-15) loss to Syracuse. Sophomore Sareeta Nethersole led all hitters in the match as the only player in double figures with 12 kills.

As a team, the Hawks struggled to find a hitting rhythm against their third Big East opponent of the season. Hartford finished the match with a .038 average on 31 kills and 27 errors in 104 total attacks. Nethersole led the team with a .206 average with five errors in 24 attempts. Sophomore Jackie Tamburri finished with 20 assists. Defensively, Nethersole also led the way with 10 digs, tying libero Saara Carissimi.

The Orange finished the match with a .279 average on 23 kills and hit just eight errors in 86 attempts, led by Nicolette Serratore who finished with nine kills.

The first set saw a total of seven ties and four lead changes. Syracuse opened the set with the first two points before a kill from Kathryn Gawrych opened up the Hawks scoring. Despite that kill, the Orange held that early lead until a six-point rally for Hartford provided the first lead change and a 16-13 lead for the Hawks. The Orange closed out the set by winning eight of the final nine points, including a seven point run.

The second set started in favor of the Hawks who opened up an early 4- lead on kills from Dionna Kirton and Nethersole as well as an ace from senior Kami Nethersole. Following that early Hartford run, the Orange responded by rattling off six-straight for the first of three lead changes. Two more rallies over ht next eight points provided the final two lead changes, the last of which came on a five-point scurry for Syracuse, thanks in part to four-straight Hartford hitting errors.

The final set opened with a point for the Orange and despite following that will a kill from Taylor McCreery the Hawks never held a lead and saw just the one tie score at one. Syracuse was able to string together 15 of the next 18 points to open up a 16-5 lead, a deficit the Hawks would be unable to recover from. A kill from Gosia Wlaszuk closed out the match.

The Hawks play a pair of matches on Saturday at the Blue and White Classic beginning with the host Bulls at 12:00 p.m. Hartford will close out the three-match event with a 5:00 p.m. match against the Dartmouth Big Green.