NEW LONDON, CONN. - The Hartford volleyball team fell to the United States Coast Guard Academy in straight sets on Wednesday, October 28th, dropping the match 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-21) at Roland Gymnasium. Despite a strong offensive performance from freshman
Calla McCombs (Bloomfield, N.Y.), who led the Hawks with 10 kills, Hartford was unable to overcome the Bears.
Rapid Recap:
- Coast Guard established early control, opening the match with a strong serving and attacking performance to build a commanding lead. Hartford looked to respond through kills from McCombs and junior Rylee Miller (Sunriver, Ore.), while sophomore Mattea Cosby (Enfield, Conn.) stepped up and earned the start where she helped facilitate the Hawks' offense. However, the Bears continued to capitalize on Hartford errors and used multiple service aces from Julia Gallinger to extend their advantage. Coast Guard maintained its momentum throughout the set, closing it out with a 25-9 victory to take an early 1-0 lead.
- Hartford responded with a much more competitive effort in the second set, battling Coast Guard point for point throughout the frame. After falling behind early, the Hawks worked their way back into the set with kills from McCombs, senior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.), and sophomore Lauren Johnson (Fort Collins, Colo.). Hartford also received a service ace from freshman Arianna Mapa (San Diego, Calif.) and benefited from key defensive plays at the net. The teams continued to exchange points, eventually reaching a 20-20 tie. Coast Guard made a late push behind its attacking game, while Hartford continued to fight to stay within reach. The Bears edged ahead down the stretch to take the set, 25-23, and move within one set of the sweep.
- The Hawks carried their momentum into the third set, keeping the score close in a back-and-forth battle. McCombs contributed kills and a service ace, while Murphy and Johnson helped Hartford compete at the net. Freshman Belen Butler (San Diego, Calif.) added a service ace and contributed offensively as the Hawks continued to challenge the Bears. Hartford remained within striking distance late in the set, with the teams tied at 19 before Murphy delivered a key kill to keep the Hawks in contention. Coast Guard responded with a late scoring run led by Corey Lemmer and Ava Ahokovi, pulling away in the closing points to secure a 25-21 set victory and complete the 3-0 sweep.
Inside the Numbers:
- McCombs led Hartford with 10 kills, one service ace, and eight digs. Murphy added four kills and a team-high four blocks, while Johnson contributed three blocks.
- Cosby paced the Hawks with 20 assists and 10 digs. Butler added seven digs and one service ace.
- Coast Guard was led by Lemmer with 11 kills, while Gallinger recorded five service aces. Ahokovi added 19 assists, and Shire led all players with 20 digs.
- Coast Guard held the advantage in kills (37-24), aces (7-3), assists (36-23), and digs (59-43). Both teams recorded seven blocks, while the Bears hit .202 compared to Hartford's .037.
Up Next:
Hartford Volleyball will look to bounce back where they will host New York University on Friday, October, 30th at 6:00 PM.
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