THE BASICS:


MATCH 1 RESULT: Lehigh 3, Hartford 0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21)
MATCH 2 RESULT: Sacred Heart 3, Hartford 0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-19)
LOCATION: Pitt Center (Fairfield, Conn.)
RECORDS: Hartford (2-10), Lehigh (9-5), SHU (6-7)

THE LEAD:
The Hartford volleyball team was bested in a pair of matches on Saturday at the SHU Hampton Inn by Hilton Shelton Invitational, falling to host Sacred Heart and tournament champion Lehigh. Brittany Braun picked up all-tournament honors for her efforts in the event.
 
MATCH 1: LEHIGH 3, HARTFORD 0
Lehigh opened the day by knocking off the Hawks in three. Tournament MVP Ana Spangenberg (12) and Sabrina Lancaster (10) each finished with double-digit kills in the victory for the Mountain Hawks in the victory. Lehigh had a strong edge on the block, with Lauren Bright and Victoria Hemsath delivering seven each.
 
Abby Nash led the Hawks with nine kills, while Paulina Modestow and Jenna Bridges delivered eight apiece. Montrashay Worley finished with 11 digs to top Hartford, while Modestow added nine digs and four aces.
 
MATCH 1 SET-BY-SET
• Hartford began with a solid start in the opening stanza, building a 7-4 lead and forcing a Lehigh timeout after consecutive Modestow aces. Lehigh battled back to take a 10-9 lead, but the Hawks delivered four-straight, with a Bridges and Braun block putting Hartford up 13-10. The Mountain Hawks chipped away and the squads battled to a 20-20 score before Lehigh gained the upper hand and finished the set on a Bright kill.
• In the second, the Hawks got out in front once more, with a Nash kill putting them ahead by a 10-6 score. Hartford pushed the lead to 14-9 after a Bridges ace, and then the teams swapped points to 17-12. That's when Lehigh went on a 7-0 run to gain a 19-17 lead, capped by a Spangenberg kill. The Hawks rebounded to knot things up at 20, but the Mountain Hawks delivered the last five points for a 25-20 triumph.
• The third saw Hartford get out to an early lead once more, with Henchy throwing down a kill to make it 10-5. Lehigh delivered a run of its own, though, netting nine of the next 10 points to make it 14-11. The Hawks rebounded, though, with a Nash ace tying things up at 15-all. After Lehigh regained a 19-17 lead, Hartford delivered a rally of its own, notching four-straight points to make it 21-19 after a Modestow ace. But the Mountain Hawks closed with a flurry, delivering the last six points of the set to earn a 25-21 victory.


MATCH 2: SACRED HEART 3, HARTFORD 0
Sacred Heart finished off its home tournament with a victory by besting the Hawks in the evening match. Liisel Nelis led all players with 16 kills, while Makayla Dole finished in double figures with 10 of her own. Kiki Robinson managed the offense with 32 assists.
 
Braun led the offense for the Hawks with eight kills, while Bridges finished with six. Bridges and Braun each delivered six blocks in a losing effort.
 
MATCH 2 SET-BY-SET
• Hartford began with a solid start in the opening stanza, building a 10-5 lead after Astrid Mangual Duran delivered an ace to force an SHU timeout. The Pioneers stemmed the tide with the break, then went on a run of five-straight points to earn a 16-13 advantage. The teams traded points to 23-20, and then Sacred Heart finished the stanza off with a pair of kills for a 25-20 victory.
• The teams came out even at 5-5 following a Braun kill, but the home squad responded with seven-straight points to take a 12-5 edge. The Hawks trimmed the deficit to 16-11, then embarked on a rally for 10 of the next 13 points, with a pair of Modestow aces putting Hartford ahead 21-19. The Hawks pushed the lead to 24-22 after a Bridges kill, but SHU finished with a flurry, taking the last four points to earn a 26-24 triumph.
• The third saw the teams come out incredibly even, with nine ties in the first 13 points of the match. SHU delivered six of the next seven points to garner a 20-14 advantage, but the Hawks netted back-to-back points to make it 20-16. The Pioneers were able to regain the momentum, though, and finished off the match with a 25-19 victory.
 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks open league play on Friday, Sept. 22, with UMBC visiting the Hartford Volleyball Gym. The Hawks and Retrievers will do battle at 7 p.m. in the conference opener for both teams.