BOSTON, Mass. - Hartford Volleyball, traveled to the commonwealth of Massachusetts on Tuesday to take on the Suffolk Rams in a Conference of New England (CNE) midweek match up. The Hawks would win in five sets (26-24, 25-18, 26-28, 25-16, 15-7).
Rapid Recap:
- The Hawks would get off to a 5-1 lead, as freshman Calla McCombs (Bloomfield, N.Y.) would earn two quick kills in the early goings. The Hartford lead would grow to 14-10 in the midway point in the first as McCombs would continue to notch kills, alongside sophomore Lauren Johnson (Fort Collins, Colo.) who would earn a kill, and freshman Amara Rhodes (Merced, Calif.) who would earn a handful of service aces. Hartford would run off to a 23-17 lead, however Suffolk would come all the way back and tie things at 24 a piece. The Hawks would come with a 2-0 run to cap off the first set and win 26-24.
- Suffolk would get off to an early 5-1 lead, that would grow into a 13-4 lead. Hartford would come back into the game 13-18 with blocks from Johnson, and kills from Rylee Miller (Sunriver, Ore.). Suffolk would put things away in the late stages and would win 25-18.
- The Hawks would jump out to a 7-1 lead in the early goings, with a handful of attack errors on the Rams. Hartford would continue their momentum getting out to a 12-3 lead, as McCombs, and Ry. Miller would notch kills. Again, the Rams would find their way into the game as they would tie things up at 20 a piece. The back and forth would continue until Suffolk would come out on top in the third set 28-26.
- Suffolk would build off the momentum of last set with a commanding 7-3 start. The Hawks would crawl their way back into the match as McCombs would continue to dominate from the outside, as well as a kill and a block from senior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.) as Hawks would garner a 11-9 lead. The teams would battle back and forth until a 18-16 lead for Hartford, The Hawks would go on to score seven straight as Ry. Miller, McCombs, and Jo. Murphy would come up big in the late stages.
- In the fifth set, both teams would battle back and forth as McCombs would dominate with kills and the Hawks would lead 9-7. The Hawks would again go on a huge run to close things out, scoring six straight and winning the final set, and the match 15-7.
Inside the Numbers:
- McCombs would finish with 24 kills, 16 digs, and three service aces. Ry. Miller would end up with 14 kills, 17 digs, and three service aces. Johnson would notch 13 kills, four digs and two block assists. Rhodes would find her teammates for kills 50 times with 50 assists, and 12 digs.
- The Hawks would finish 13 aces from the service spot.
- Hawks would outpace the Rams in assists and 56-46.
Post Game Press:
"I think this win gave us great momentum heading into midway through the season and important conference games. Being in pressure situations like tonight prepares us for the postseason which is our end goal. There's so much more to come!" McCombs would say after the game.
Head coach
Johan Dulfer said "We did not feel that we started the match with the right amount of respect. We were sloppy and unfocused for most of the first three sets. But the team dug within themselves and turned the tide. That was their doing - they refused to lose today. We improved set to set and eventually quieted the crowd and overcame the environment in their gym. It's quite the home court advantage. Sometimes surviving and moving on is the most important thing."
Up Next:
The Hawks take on another CNE opponent in Johnson and Wales University on the road Friday evening at 6:00PM.
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