Quick Hits

·          Senior setter Jackie Tamburri finished the three-match weekend tournament with 93 assists, taking over the top spot in career assists since the start of rally scoring from Lindsay Ford.

·          The Hawks 2-1 record at the Sacred Heart Invitational is the best finish to a tournament so far in 2014. Senior's Jackie Tamburri and Sareeta Nethersole were both named to the Sacred Heart Invitational All-Tournament team.

·          Senior outside hitter Sareeta Nethersole collected a weekend-high 36 kills, putting down double digit kills in all three matches. She is now 42 kills shy of joining older sister Kami Nethersole as a member of the 1,000 kill club at Hartford.

·          Freshman Katy Henchy finished the weekend second on the team with 29 kills and led all Hawks hitters with a .286 hitting percentage. The rookie posted a season-best for all players .500 attack percentage against Iona when she finished with 12 kills and two errors in 20 attempts.

·          Jackie Tamburri not only led the Hawks in assists she was also the top defensively with 39 digs, gathering a double double in all three of the matches.

·          As a team, Hartford finished the weekend with 20.5 blocks, including the second double digit blocking performance of the season with 10.5 in the final match against Sacred Heart. Individually, sophomore Rachel Moll led the team with 10 total blocks, while Katy Henchy finished with nine.

·          The Hawks also beat out their Sacred Heart Invitational opponents in service aces, amassing 19 total, including a weekend-high eight in the opening match against Rhode Island. Individually, junior Alicia Tripoli led the team with five aces.

Full Release

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The University of Hartford volleyball team posted an overall record of 2-1 in three matches at the Sacred Heart Hamptons Inn Invitational with victories over Iona and Sacred Heart. Leading the Hawks (3-4 overall)  throughout the two-day event was senior setter Jackie Tamburri who collected 93 assists, which allowed her to pass Lindsay Ford for the all-time lead in career assists since the start of rally scoring.

Tamburri and the Hawks opened the Sacred Heart Invitational with their lone loss, a three-set decision to Rhode Island. Hartford then rebounded defeating Iona in three sets just an hour after its first match and closed out the weekend with a five-set win over the host Pioneers on Saturday afternoon. Tamburri and classmate Sareeta Nethersole were each named to the SHU Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Along with Tamburri's 93 digs, the Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. native also led the team defensively with 39 digs, collecting a double double in all the three matches. Nethersole finished the weekend with 36 total kills, finishing each of the three matches with 12 kills. She also assembled a double double in the Iona match when she added 11 digs.

Also hitting well for the weekend was freshman Katy Henchy who finished with 29 total kills including 12 against Iona and 11 against Sacred Heart. Against the Gaels, the rookie outside hitter put on a hitting clinic when she finished with a .500 average with just two errors in 22 attempts. Her .500 hitting average against Iona is the best for all Hartford hitters through the Hawks first seven matches.

As a team, Hartford combined to outhit its opponents for the weekend with a .190 average. Overall, the Hawks amassed 114 total kills, 27 less than three opponents combined. Hartford also led out-served and out-blocked their weekend challengers with 19 total aces and 20.5 blocks. Individually, sophomore Rachel Moll led the teams blocking efforts with 10.5 total, while Henchy added nine. Junior Alicia Tripoli led the service efforts with five aces.

The Hawks return to the court with a single mid-week match on Tuesday night at Holy Cross, the eighth of 11 straight road matches to open the season. Hartford and the Crusaders are scheduled for a 7 p.m. first serve.