NEWARK, N.J. – Freshman Camryn Luginbuhl racked up a game-high 16 kills as the Hartford volleyball team defeated NJIT on the road in straight sets. With the win, the Hawks complete the regular season sweep against the Highlanders and improved to 6-18 overall and 4-7 in conference play. NJIT ends its 2021 season 2-25 overall and 0-12 in America East play.
 
SET 1: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 21
The match opened as a back-and-forth affair as neither team could gain the upper hand. With the opening set tied at 8-8, the Hawks would utilize a 5-0 run, capped off by a kill from Greta De Gasper, to take a 13-8 lead. NJIT would get as close as one point, but kills from Luginbuhl and McKenna Reiswig extended the Hawks lead to 18-15. NJIT would again pull within two late, as they score stood at 23-21, but a timely kill from De Gasper and a NJIT ball handling error secured the opening set victory for Hartford, 25-21.
 
SET 2: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 23
NJIT exploded out of the gates in the second set, taking a 7-1 lead. NJIT would further extend its advantage to seven after an Udo Nwosu kill gave them a 10-3 advantage. The Hawks would not go down easy, scoring three of the next four points, capped off by a NJIT service error, to close the gap to four. Uzezi Ijoma would then go on a tear, securing three straight kills before Robin Helms gave the Hawks a 14-13 lead after a crucial kill. The second set would go down to the wire as both sides battled to a 23-23 stalemate. Helms would pull the Hawks to within one point away from winning the set before a NJIT attacking error completed the comeback, 25-23, and gave Hartford a 2-0 advantage.
 
SET 3: HARTFORD 25, NJIT 14
Hartford would jump out early in the third and final set, going on a 5-0 run, fueled by three straight Luginbuhl kills to take a 9-3 lead. The two teams would trade points back and forth until a 5-0 run by Hartford broke the set open, giving the Hawks a 17-6 advantage. Hartford would not take its foot off the gas, extending its lead to 13 after a kill from Valerie Diede. NJIT would try and fight back, scoring the next three points, but its comeback effort fell short as the Hawks secured the set, 25-14, and the match.
 
INSIDE THE BOX AND NOTES

• Luginbuhl paced the Hawks offense with 16 kills
• Ijoma added eight kills while Reiswig finished with seven kills
• As a team, the Hawks hit .248 while limiting NJIT to a .106 hitting percentage
• Senior Alex Lucero led the Hawks with 17 digs on the evening
• Helms was a force at the night, tallying five blocks
• De Gasper was on fire from the service line, tallying a game-high two service aces
• Sophomore Morgan Galligan finished with a game-high 37 assists
• Adriana Goetz-Morales led the Highlanders with seven kills

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks return to the Hartford Volleyball Gym for their final match of the 2021 season on Sunday against New Hampshire. Sunday's match against the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m.
 
For more information on the Hartford volleyball team, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media (Twitter | Instagram)