ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior Jenna Bridges and freshman Maddie Lindsay combined for 30 kills on Friday evening, as the Hartford volleyball team downed Niagara in straight sets in the opening match of the Cornell Invitational. The Hawks improve to 2-2 on the season, while the Purple Eagles dip to 1-3 with their first loss of the season.
 
HARTFORD 3, NIAGARA 0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-18)

• SET ONE: Eleven of junior Megan Anderson's 30 assists came in the first set, as the Hawks cruised to a 25-21 win in the opening set. Hartford trailed just once in the set on the opening play, and despite Niagara pulling within one point three times, it extended a 16-15 edge to 21-16 before coasting to the victory.
• SET TWO:Building an early 8-4 lead, the Hawks kept pushing, going ahead by an 18-10 count on a Lindsay kill. Niagara managed shave one point off of its deficit before Hartford ran away with the set en route to the 25-12 victory. The combination of Lindsay and Bridges put down 10 kills to lead the offense.
• SET THREE: In what proved to be the final set, Hartford opened up a quick 8-4 lead. But Niagara came storming back, as it erased its deficit and took a one-point advantage at 16-15. With the set even at 16-16, the Hawks delivered three unanswered points to build a cushion before pulling away with the 25-18 decision.
• NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS:In addition to delivering 17 kills, Bridges added four blocks … Lindsay compiled 13 kills, while junior Abby Nash added eight … Anderson notched 30 assists in the victory.

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks finish up the Cornell Invitational with two matches on Saturday. Hartford first takes on Youngstown State at 1 p.m., before it battles the host-team Cornell at 6 p.m.