WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford volleyball team picked up a dominant three-set victory against visiting NJIT Sunday afternoon inside the Hartford Volleyball Gym. Led by a game-high 17 kills from freshman Camryn Luginbuhl, the Hawks (4-16) improve to 2-5 in the America East, while the Highlanders drop to 1-20 overall and 0-8 in conference play.
 
SET ONE: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 16
Hartford jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in the opening set, forcing a NJIT timeout. The Hawks would continue to pile on the pressure after the stoppage, extending their lead to eight and opening up a 20-12 advantage. The Highlanders would attempt to battle back, but Maddie Lindsay's third kill of the set secured the opening stanza, 25-16.
 
SET TWO: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 18
The second set featured another hot start for Hartford as the Hawks took a 7-1 lead. NJIT would go on a 4-0 run though, cutting the deficit to four to lead to a Hawks'  timeout, despite the 13-9 lead. Hartford would go on a 7-0 run of its own after the stoppage in play, led by Luginbuhl, who racked up her ninth kill of the game. NJIT would not be able to respond as the Hawks took a 2-0 lead, winning the second set, 25-18.

SET THREE: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 21
Hartford and NJIT would battle back-and-forth in the third, and ultimately, final set as the Hawks led 13-10. The Hawks would go on a 5-2 run, extending their lead to 18-12. NJIT would battle back late, getting within four points, but Hartford would hold on and take the final set, 25-21, to secure the victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Luginbuhl paced the Hawks' attack with 17 kills
• Lindsay and Robin Helms tallied nine kills each
• Senior Alex Lucero put in a solid defensive effort, finishing with 24 digs
• Senior Valerie Diede was a force at the net, racking up a game-high five blocks
• Hartford held the Highlanders to a .079 hitting percentage
• The Hawks won their seventh consecutive game against the Highlanders, improving to 7-4 in the all-time series

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks hit the road next weekend for two America East matches. Hartford first heads to UMBC on Friday (Oct. 29) to take on UMBC for a 7 p.m. start. The road trip concludes on Sunday, when the Hawks face Stony Brook on Long Island at 1 p.m.

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