UTICA, NY - The Utica University volleyball team fell at home in Empire 8 Conference play to the Hartwick College Hawks on Saturday afternoon by a score of 3-0. 
 
Leading the way for the Pioneers was Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community), who tallied nine kills in the contest. Elizabeth Hanba (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) slammed seven kills and Trinity Bailey (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) recorded four. Assisting on the Pioneer kills was Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) who recorded 17 assists, and Alicia Ancewicz (Greenlawn, NY/John Glenn) who tallied seven. At the service line, Wright recorded three aces, Jones tallied two and Hanba and Cassandra Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) each recorded one. On defense, Wright tallied 16 digs, Jones tallied 11 and Wagemann recorded six. At the net, Peyton Migliaccio (Suffern, NY/Suffern) recorded two blocks while Jones and Bailey each recorded one. 
 
The opening frame would see Utica jump out to an early 5-2 lead over the Hawks. Utica would then be able to capitalize on a pair of errors by Hartwick and a kill from Hanba to go ahead in the set at 8-4. The teams would then trade blows before Utica would string together a trio of points on a kill from Wagemann and a pair of aces by Wright to go up in the set at 15-8. Hartwick would then put together a run of its own capitalizing on a pair of Pioneer errors and a pair of kills to cut the deficit to two at 16-14. The Pioneers would then have a kill from Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) before Hartwick would be able to make up its deficit on a trio of points to knot the set at 17 a piece. Utica would then capitalize on a pair of errors to go up at 19-17, but would be unable to hold on as Hartwick would close out the set at 25-23. 
 
The second set would see Hartwick jump out to a 6-3 lead. Utica would then string together a four point run highlighted by an ace by Wagemann, a kill from Hanba and a pair of errors by the Hawks to take the lead in the set at 7-6. Hartwick would then string together a trio of points, capitalizing on errors by the Pioneers to go back up in the set at 9-7. The teams would trade blows, but Utica would be unable to find its footing as the Hawks would put together a seven-point run on a slew of errors to put the set out of Pioneer reach, closing out the set at 25-17. 
 
The final frame would see Hartwick once again jump out to an early 4-1 lead. Utica would put together a trio of points on a kill and ace from Wright and an error from the Hawks to tie the set at four a side. The teams would trade blows before Utica would put together another trio of points on kills from Caitlyn Esposito (Haddam, CT/Haddam-Killingworth), Jones, and Hanba to go up in the set at 8-6. The teams would then trade back to back points before Hartwick would put together a trio of points to take the lead in the set at 17-16. The teams would then trade blows before Hartwick would close out the set at 25-20. 
 
Utica (5-8, 1-2 Empire 8) remains home to take on the Alfred University Saxons on Friday, October 11. Game time from the Clark Athletic Center is set for 7pm.