WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Hartford volleyball team swept Nichols College 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 23-20) in a dominant fashion, picking up a crucial CNE victory to keep the Hawks in playoff conversations.
Rapid Recap:
- The Hawks jumped out to an early 5-1 lead thanks to two big kills from Junior Rylee Miller (Sun Valley, Ore.). Freshman Calla McCombs (Bloomfield, NY.) helped the Hawks continue their early momentum, delivering a kill to give Hartford a 9-2 advantage. The Hawks continued to dominate the set and went on a six-point run to extend their lead 15-3. Nichols responded by scoring three straight points to get back on track. McCombs and Miller took control of the remainder of the set, powering a 10-3 run to cap off the set. Junior Lauren Johnson (Fort Collins, Colo.) delivered the final kill for the Hawks, taking set one 25-10.
- McCombs began set two with back-to-back aces and helped power an early lead for the Hawks. The teams exchanged points in the first portion of the set and sat 6-4 in favor of the Hawks. Freshman Amara Rhodes (Merced, Calif.) delivered a crucial kill alongside an ace by Freshman Mckenzie Dearborne (Houston, TX.) to provide Hartford with some breathing room, taking a 10-6 lead. Nichols responded to bring the game 13-11, but it was all Hartford from here. Miller and Rhodes led the Hawks on a 12-2 run to close out the set. McCombs finished off the set with a kill, giving the Hawks the 25-13 set win.
- The Bison took an early 5-3 advantage after three straight kills. The teams remained neck and neck for the remainder of the set and traded blows. Kills from Senior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.) helped keep the Hawks within striking distance. Nichols broke the deadlock, going on a 7-3 run to take a 16-10 lead. It appeared momentum had shifted, but Hartford answered in dominant fashion in the form of an 11-2 run powered by McCombs and Johnson. The Hawks finished out the set on the heels of a Miller kill, securing the sweep on a 25-20 triumph.
Post Match Press:
"It was really fun to see us sprint out of the gates tonight and never look back" said Head Coach Johan Dulfer. "We appear to have learned the lesson that when an opponent pushes us, like Nichols did in the third set, that it's ok to fight back and we now have the tools to do it. All in all, I'm very proud of the purpose we played with tonight, knowing what was at stake.
"We had a lot of energy tonight knowing that we needed this win to have a chance to make the playoffs," said McCombs/ "So, I think we're inching closer towards our goal and tonight really put us in the right position.
Inside the Numbers:
- McCombs led the Hawks with 13 kills alongside a 17-dig performance. Miller contributed 13 kills on a .306 hitting percentage.
- Johnson added seven kills. Rhodes contributed an additional six and led the passing effort with 30 assists.
- Dearborne dominated the serve effort, delivering four aces.
- Hartford led the kill battle with 45 compared to the Bison 20.
Up Next:
The Hawks will head to Endicott College on Saturday, October 24 for a CNE matchup at 1 PM.
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