Box Score WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Led by nine kills each from junior Maya Louis and senir Dionna Kirton, the University of Hartford volleyball team coasted to a three-set win over the visiting Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday night. With the win, Hartford improved to 11-18 overall and 5-8 in the America East. Â
Stony Brook falls to 15-16 overall and 8-5 in the conference. Kaitlin Costello had nine kills to lead the Seawolves, who were held to a .044 hitting percentage by the Hawks' defense. Paola Llerandi led the Hawks with 14 digs and Sareeta Nethersole chipped in with 11. Â
Louis turned in a team-best .333 hitting percentage. Nethersole (seven kills, 11 digs) and Corinne Horanzy (seven kills, nine digs) contributed strong performances on both sides. Jackie Tamburri, the Hawks setter, finished with 32 assists.
After trailing by three early in the opening set, the Hawks came back to tie the game at six on a kill by Nethersole and a pair of aces from Horanzy. Hartford never trailed again in the set after taking a 9-8 lead on a Seawolves attack error. The set featured 10 ties before the Hawks finally took the lead for good at 22-21 thanks to another Seawolves hitting error. Kirton finished things with her fourth kill to give the Hawks the 25-22 win. Â
The second set followed a similar pattern with neither team leading by more than two points until Hartford finally took the advantage for good at 19-18 on a service ace from Brooke Tallinger. The Hawks ran off seven of the final nine points for a 25-20 win. Â
Hartford's defense was the story of the second set holding Stony Brook to a .000 hitting percentage. Llerandi collected seven digs and Tamburri garnered five to lead the defensive effort. Louis and Nethersole both collected four kills.
The Hawks jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the decisive third set before Stony Brook rallied with seven of the next nine points putting Hartford in a 13-11 hole. The Hawks responded with a 7-0 run of their own to take a commanding, 18-13, lead. Lindsay Anderson, who finished the match with six kills, started the streak for Hartford. Tamburri added a pair of service aces to go with kills from Kirton, Nethersole and Anderson in the run.
The Hawks took their largest lead at 23-16 on a kill from Horanzy. Stony Brook battled back to make it 24-20 before a Seawolves attack error ended the match.
Hartford hosts UMBC in its regular season finale Sunday at 1 p.m., honoring their six seniors prior to the match: Saara Carissimi, Brooke Tallinger, Lindsay Swan, Lindsay Anderson, Taylor McCreery and Dionna Kirton.
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