WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Hartford Volleyball came up short against UMBC Friday night, dropping a 3-2 decision in the Hawks fifth America East match of the season.
 
Sophomore Abby Nash had a season-high 17 kills for Hartford, which falls to 8-9 overall and 1-4 in conference play. Paola Rojas hit .400 and had a match-high 20 kills for UMBC, which improves to 5-14 on the season and 1-4 in the America East.
 
UMBC 3, HARTFORD (23-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-13)

• SET ONE: The opening set was tight early before Hartford opened up a gap with a 7-3 run making the score 20-15. The Hawks held off an UMBC comeback attempt, breaking a 23-23 tie and scoring the final two points of the match. Hartford hit .361 in the opening set behind six kills from junior Jenna Bridges.
• SET TWO: Hartford pushed its lead to two in the second, jumping out to an early six-point edge (13-7), forcing a UMBC timeout. The Retrievers closed within three (20-17) later in the set, but were unable to get any closer, as the Hawks finished off the second set, 25-20. Sophomore Daisy Eklund hit .556 with six kills to pace Hartford.
• SET THREE: UMBC began to turn things around in the third, going on a 15-3 run midway through the set, making the score 22-10. Hartford managed to battle back and fight through four set-points, forcing the Retrievers to call timeout. UMBC, however, ended the rally on the next point with a kill from Becca Elrod, taking its first set of the night, 25-18.
• SET FOUR: Similar to the third, UMBC used an 8-4 run midway through the set to take a 17-11 lead and force a Hartford timeout. After the timeout, the Hawks closed within one (19-20), but the Retrievers were able to hold off Hartford. After a timeout of their own, and tie the match score at two with a 25-23 win.
• SET FIVE: Both teams battled through the final set that saw six ties and four lead changes. With the score tied at nine, UMBC took the lead for good with two-straight points on its way to completing the comeback and taking the fifth set, 15-13.
• NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS: Bridges (18), Nash (17) and Eklund (14) combined for 49 kills for the Hawks … sophomore Megan Anderson finished with a career high 55 assists … freshman Alex Lucero had a match-high 23 digs ... UMBC was paced by Taylor Dunn, with a team high 50 assists, and Paige Krenik, who registered a double-double with 18 kills and 22 digs.

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks remains at home this weekend when they host Binghamton on Sunday, in America East action. Opening serve for the match will be 1 p.m.