University of Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, Conn - The Hartford Volleyball team took a trip to New London on Saturday for a tri-match between Western Connecticut, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The Hawks would lose game one in straight sets 3-0 ( 25-20, 25-22, 25-17) to USMMA, and defeat WestConn in three sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-19).

Game 1:
Rapid Recap:

• Both teams would battle back and forth to start the match as the Hawks would be within one early 10-9, coming off kills from freshman Calla McCombs (Bloomfield, N.Y.), and junior Rylee Miller (Sunriver, Ore.) USMMA would go on a 4-0 run shortly after, that the Hawks would match wit one of their own, with a service ace by way of junior Addison Miller (Allentown, Pa.) .The teams would trade runs once again, however in the late stages of the first set USMMA would pull away, taking set one 25-20.
• The Hawks would get off to a very good start, with an early 10-3 lead, as sophomore Lauren Johnson (Fort Collins, Colo.) would secure both a service ace and a kill in this stretch. The Hawk lead would continue to grow to 16-7, with another service ace for Miller. However, USMMA would score nine straight points, and bring themselves to lead, the teams would battle to a 23-22 game, in which USMMA would score the last two points to defeat the Hawks in the second set 25-22. 
• In the third set, Hartford would find themselves trailing early, as they would find themselves on the trail side of a 8-1 lead. The Hawks would find their way back into the match, as they would tie things up at 11 a piece with back to back blocks from senior Jenna Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.). However this is where USMMA would pull away, going on a 11-6 run to cap off the set and the match 25-17, 3-0. 

Inside the Numbers:

• McCombs would lead Hartford with 12 kills and eight digs, Miller would finish with six kills and 13 digs, senior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.) would finish with five kills and three blocks, freshman Amara Rhodes (San Diego, Calif.) ended with 22 assists and three digs. 
• Both teams would finish with 31 kills.
• The Hawks would finish with both more assists and digs then USMMA (28-27, 47-44).

Game 2:
Rapid Recap:

• The Hawks would jump out to a 7-4 lead with kills coming from sophomore Camille Earl (Houston, Texas) . Hartford's lead would continue to grow to 15-6, with a pair of service aces for Earl as well as kills from McCombs and Jo. Murphy. The Hawk lead would continue to grow, as Earl would continue to dominate from the service position and the Hawks would take set one 25-17. 
• The Wolves of WestConn. would jump out to an early lead, going up 5-1. The Hawks would get right back in coming off the service of Earl, as they would score 12 straight points off her serves, and kills from Miller, Jo. Murphy, and Rhodes, making the score 17-10. The Hawk momentum would be too much for the Wolves to bear, as they would find themselves on the heels of the Hartford barrage, and the Hawks would win the second set 25-15.
• The Hawks and Wolves would trade blows in the early goings of the third and what would be final set in this match. With the score at 7-6, Hartford would find a groove going on a 8-3 run yet another service ace from Earl, and kills from Rhodes and a pair from McCombs. Earl would once again continue to rack the points for Hartford from the service spot and kills from Jo. Murphy to make the score 24 - 16. The Hawks would come out on top in the third set, and win the match 25-17 and 3-0.

Inside the Numbers:

• Earl would finish with six kills, seven service aces, and four digs. Ry. Miller would finish with five kills and and 14 digs, Jo. Murphy would end with 10 kills and two blocks, Rhodes would finish with 29 assists, seven kills, and four digs, McCombs would finish with 11 kills and 12 digs. 
• The Hawks would end with 39 kills to WestConn's 25. 
• Hartford would dominate in the assists and digs category (32-23, 52-37).

Post Game Press:
"Sometimes you can look at a stat sheet and assume a match was dead-even, but the truth is quite different. Our first match today was like that. We served very poorly, and USMMA took advantage of our issues on serve receive and we never got out of the hole. In between the matches we challenged the team to play like the family that they feel like they are and an entirely different team took the court against Western Conn. I'd like to to think we learned a valuable lesson. Volleyball doesn't have to be perfect. It's an imperfect game with lots of errors. You just need to give it your all and leave it on the floor." Head Coach Johan Dulfer said following both matches.