THE BASICS:

MATCH 1 RESULT: Columbia 3, Hartford 0
MATCH 2 RESULT: Providence 3, Hartford 1
LOCATION: New York, N.Y.
RECORDS: Hartford (3-10), Columbia (4-6), Providence (10-4)

THE LEAD:
The University of Hartford volleyball team was topped in its final two games of the Lion Invitational, hosted by Columbia, on Saturday. The Hawks fell 3-0 to Columbia and 3-1 against Providence on the day.
 
MATCH 1: COLUMBIA 3, HARTFORD 0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-14)
Paulina Modestow led the Hawks with nine kills, but a strong defensive effort by Columbia lifted the Lions to a 3-0 victory in the first match of the day.
 
Luciana Del Valle led the Lions with eight kills, while Ara Peterson posted seven kills on her eight attempts to lead an efficient offensive performance. Columbia delivered eight blocks in the match, six by Peterson, while Cassie Wes (14) and Grace Campbell (11) each posted double-digit digs.

Paola Llerandi led Hartford with her 13 digs, while Megan Scherer finished in double digits with 10 as well. Astrid Mangual passed out 17 assists in a losing effort.

MATCH 1 SET-BY-SET
• The first set was all Lions, as Columbia jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back in a 25-12 win. The Hawks got it as close as 8-5 on a Jenna Bridges kill, but Columbia closed strong in taking a 1-0 lead.
• Columbia got to a strong start in the second as well, opening an early 8-2 advantage. The Hawks slowly clawed their way back, as a run converting five of six points culminated with a Modestow kill and made the score 20-17. But that was as close as the visitors would get in the stanza, as the Lions recovered and finished off a 25-19 victory.
• Columbia once again used a fast start to set the tone in the third, as a 9-2 advantage forced a Hawks timeout. Hartford attempted to whittle away the lead, cutting it to 11-6 off a Katy Henchy kill, but the Lions bounced back and took advantage of every opportunity in finishing off the match with a 25-14 victory.
 
MATCH 2: PROVIDENCE 3, HARTFORD 1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-23, 28-26)
Modestow led three Hawks in double figures with her 15 kills, while Henchy and Bridges each added 14, but the Hawks were bested in a tight match by Providence, 3-1. Megan Onyudo led the Friars with 14 kills, while Allison Impellizeri added 13 kills.
 
Llerandi delivered a team-high 17 digs in the loss, while Mangual posted 48 assists and 16 digs and Scherer delivered 14 digs in her first career start.

MATCH 2 SET-BY-SET
• In the opening stanza, the Hawks came from behind to take a 26-24 victory and a 1-0 lead in the match. After trailing 20-15, Hartford slowly chipped away, finally drawing even at 22 apiece. The score moved to 24-24, then a Scherer ace and a PC attack error ended the set with the Hawks triumphant.
• The second saw the Hawks jump out to a 6-3 lead on a Modestow kill, but the Friars came right back to regain a 7-6 advantage. After trading points to 14-14, Providence slowly pulled away en route to a 25-21 victory.
• Providence came out rolling in the third, opening a 6-2 lead early on. Undaunted, the Hawks regained their composure to take an 11-10 lead on a Llerandi ace. Hartford pulled ahead 17-12 after another ace, this one by Scherer, for their largest lead of the set. But PC came right back, knotting things up at 20-all, trading points to 23-23, and garnering the final two points for a 25-23 victory.
• The fourth opened with a flurry, as Hartford built an 8-2 lead following a Mangual ace. But Providence came right back to roll off seven straight and garner a 9-8 lead. From there, the teams battled back-and-forth all the way to the finish, in a set that featured 14 ties, but PC registered consecutive kills to emerge victorious, 28-26.

UP NEXT:
Conference play opens next weekend, with Hartford slated to take on UMass Lowell on Saturday, Sept. 24. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. in eastern Massachusetts.