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Box Score 2 NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The University of Hartford volleyball team completed a Saturday sweep at the CCSU Blue Devil Invitational defeating Fordham in three (25-17, 25-15, 25-14) and NJIT in four sets (25-13, 25-12, 15-25, 25-15). Senior Dionna Kirton led the Hawks (5-10 overall) with a combined 20 kills over the two matches.
Senior Sareeta Nethersole and junior Jackie Tamburri were each named to the All-Tournament team; the fourth time in as many tournaments Tamburri has received the accolade. Nethersole led Hartford in its second match of the day with 14 kills, high for all Hawks on Saturday. She finished the day with 19 total kills. Tamburri finished the day with 77 total assists, including a weekend high 40 against NJIT.
In the tournament's first match of the day, Hartford finished with a season-high hitting average of .337 on 43 total kills and 13 errors in 89 attacks. Leading the hitting efforts was senior Lindsay Anderson who finished with nine kills and just one error in 14 attempts for a .571 average. Kirton led all hitters in the match with 12 kills, the only player to register double digit kills. Kirton also finished the match hitting over .500 with two errors in 19 attempts for a .526 combined average.
Defensively, Hartford was led by freshman libero Paola Llerandi who finished with 13 digs, joined in double figures by Nethersole who added 10. The Hawks also finished with seven total blocks, led by Nethersole who stuffed a career-high five blocks.
In the second match of the day, Hartford again hit over .300 as a team combining for 52 kills and 15 errors in 121 total attacks for a .306 average. Nethersole led all hitters in the NJIT match with 14 kills while Anderson and Corinne Horanzy each added 10 kills. Among the three leaders, Anderson led the way with a .421 average with two errors in 19 attempts.
Tamburri's 40 assists in the second match was one half of the Hawks only double double of the day as she finished as one of two defensive leaders with 10 digs. Llerandi led Hartford with 12 digs, while the team combined for eight total blocks. Nethersole again led the Hawks as she tied her new career-high with five blocks.
The Hawks will travel to Quinnipiac University on Wednesday, September 25 for their final test before opening conference play. Hartford and Quinnipiac are scheduled to start the non-conference finale at 7 p.m. at Burt Kahn Court in Hamden, Conn.
