KINGSTON, R.I. – The University of Hartford volleyball team dropped a three-set (25-16, 25-18, 25-13) match to the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday afternoon at the Art Carmichael Invitational at URI. Hartford (3-7 overall) was led by sophomore Sareeta Nethersole who finished with 11 kills, the only Hawk in double figures.

Hartford had a hard time finding an offensive rhythm, finishing the match with a .072 hitting average. As a team, the Hawks combined for 29 kills and suffered 22 errors in 97 total attacks. Among the leading hitters behind Nethersole was Kami Nethersole and Lindsay Anderson who each finished with six kills, while Kathryn Gawrych who chipped in five kills, a career-high. Gawrych led the individual hitters with a.250 average with two errors in 12 attempts.

Sophomore setter Jackie Tamburri finished the match with 27 assists, while adding seven digs on the defensive end. Leading the way defensively was libero Saara Carissimi who finished with 12 digs, the only Hawk with 10 or more.

Hartford came out of the gates to win the first three points of the match, two on back-to-back errors for Seton Hall, while the third came courtesy of a service ace from Tamburri. The first set saw just one tie and a single lead change, with both coming during a five point rally that gave the Pirates a 5-3 lead. After the teams traded points over the next 10, the Pirates began to pull away, taking set one on a six-point rally.

The second set started much the same as the Hawks took the first two points on a kill from (Sareeta) Nethersole and an ace from Carissimi. The score would end up tied six times in the second set before a four-point rally for the Pirates gave them an 11-7 lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Seton Hall also used a second four-point rally to extend their lead to as much as 17-10.

In the third set, the Hawks took the first point of the set before Seton Hall took the next two for their first and only lead of the set. They then used a stretch of 10 out of 11 points to pull the set out of reach, with their biggest lead coming at 19-9, following a pair of kills from Stacey Manthorpe.

The Hawks will close out the Art Carmichael Invitational with a single match on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Canisius Golden Griffins at 12:00 p.m.