WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford volleyball team tied a school record, sweeping the second place UMBC Retrievers in three sets on Sunday. The victory was the Hawks sixth in America East play, matching the previous league high from 1996 (6-8). Leading the Hawks on Senior Day was Dionna Kirton who finished with 13 kills, 13 digs and five aces, the latter a career-best.

The Hawks close out the 2013 season with a 12-18 overall record, tying (2011) the most victories for a Hartford volleyball team since 2002 (14-16). A trio of Hawks finished with 200-plus kills, led by junior outside hitter Sareeta Nethersole who finished with 238. Kirton closed out her career with 236 kills, while rookie Corinne Horanzy was third overall with 209 kills.

Joining Kirton in leading the Hawks in the season finale was Nethersole and senior Lindsay Anderson who each finished with eight kills. Among the three leading hitters, Anderson led the way with a .412 hitting average with just one error in 17 total attacks. Kirton also hit well in her final match as a Hawk with two errors in 30 attempts for a .367 average.

As a tea, Hartford hit .210 for the afternoon with 42 total kills and 17 errors in 119 attempts. Junior setter Jackie Tamburri finished with 21 assists, closing out her junior year with 1,004, her second season as a Hawk with 1,000 or more helpers.

Kirton's 13 digs led the way for Hartford who also received double figure digs from Tamburri who finished with 11, completing her team-leading 17th double double of the season. The double double for Kirton was her sixth of the year.

The Hawks opened up the Senior Day match against UMBC scoring nine of the first 12 points taking an 8-3 lead they wouldn't relinquish the remainder of the opening set. Included in the initial rally was three-straight service aces from Kirton, and four total in what amounted to a 7-0 run for the home team.

UMBC would rally to tie the score at 14, the first of three-straight ties, before Hartford rattled off three-straight points to take a 19-16 lead, with the last two points of the run coming on UMBC hitting errors. A kill from Kirton would put the first game in the books with a 25-21 Hartford victory.

The second set began with the Retrievers taking a 5-2 lead, and holding that advantage until the Hawks tied the score at 12, the third of nine total ties in the game. After trailing by two, 17-19, the Hawks used three-straight points, including an ace from Chandler Goodwin and a kill from Kirton to tie the score at 19. That would be the first of five-straight stalemates before the Hawks rallied for back-to-back points and the 2-0 match advantage thanks to an ace from Kirton and a kill from Anderson, providing a 25-23 set two victory.

After giving up the first point in the decisive third set, Hartford put together a string of four-straight points during a service rally for Anderson, which gave Hartford a 5-2 lead. The Hawks held that lead until the middle of the game when UMBC tied the score at 12. Anderson would then begin another Hartford rally, this one ending in a 16-14 Hartford lead, their largest of the final set.

After matching that advantage at 20-16 on a kill from Kirton, the Retrievers began to chip away at the lead, eventually tying the score at 21-21, the first of four-straight ties, which forced the match to be decided by extra points. Hartford would break a 25-25 tie with back-to-back kills from Kirton , giving the Hawks the 27-25 victory.