THE BASICS:
RESULTS: Bryant 3, Hartford 0
SET 1: Bryant 25, Hartford 15
SET 2: Bryant 25, Hartford 22
SET 3: Bryant 25, Hartford 14
LOCATION: Chace Wellness Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

THE LEAD: The University of Hartford volleyball team fell at the hands of Bryant on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 3-0 at the Chace Wellness Center. Paulina Modestow led the Hawks with six kills, while Alyse Wenzel posted four kills and four blocks in a losing effort. Kristin Kingi and Sophie Hoekstra each notched 10 kills for the Bulldogs to lead all players.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET 1:
The two teams traded points early, with a Katy Henchy kill tying the set 2-2. Bryant rallied at that stage, though, delivering a kill, an ace and a block in a string of five straight points to garner a 7-2 lead. After the Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 10-4, the Hawks responded, scoring five of the next six points to trim the deficit to 11-9. Slowly Bryant pushed the lead to 17-13, and then three straight points for the Bulldogs moved it to 20-13 and they carried the momentum to a 25-15 victory.

SET 2:
In the second, the Bulldogs grabbed an early 5-2 lead, but the Hawks came storming back with five of the next six points, including kills by Henchy and Wenzel, to take a 7-6 edge. Bryant responded in kind with four straight tallies, but the Hawks cut it to 13-11, then netted four of the next five, the final one from Wenzel, to regain a 15-14 advantage. Bryant rallied with seven of the next nine to push the lead to 21-17, but the Hawks posted three straight to cut it to 21-20 and force a Bulldogs timeout. But the timeout changed the momentum, and Bryant was able to hold on for the 25-22 victory.

SET 3:
The Hawks and Bulldogs came out even in the third, and a Paola Llerandi ace gave the visitors an early 4-3 lead. The home squad was able to rally with five consecutive points to garner an 8-4 lead, but the Hawks staged a rally of their own, with a Brianna Pacileo kill starting a run of four straight points that tied the set at eight. Bryant regained the lead at 10-9, and then took the momentum with six of the next seven points to push the lead to 16-10. The Hawks got a key block from Paulina Modestow and Wenzel to stop that rally, but Bryant regained the advantage, and carried the momentum to a 25-14 win in the third.

UP NEXT:
Hartford heads to the Central Connecticut State Invitational over the weekend for three games in two days. The Hawks face CCSU on Friday, Sept. 18, at 4 p.m. and then take on Holy Cross (11 a.m.) and Brown (4 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 19.