PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Hilbert College men's volleyball team opened their 2022 season competing in a tri-match hosted by Nazareth College. The Hawks averaged 16 points per set but suffered 3-0 defeats to Geneva in the 6pm game before falling by the same score to Golden Eagles at 8pm.
THE BASICS
- Final Scores: Geneva 25, 25, 25 I Hilbert 8, 14, 10
- Nazareth 25, 25, 25 I Hilbert 16, 18, 13
- Location: Kindrea Gym, Nazareth College
- Records: Geneva 1-1 I Hawks 0-2 I Nazareth 2-0
HIGHLIGHTS GENEVA
- Brad Converse led the Hawks scoring 19 points fueled by 11 kills, six service aces and three blocks.
- Austin Chandler was credited with 25 assists, one service ace and two blocks while Luis Retamar led the defensive effort with 16 digs, three assists and an overpass kill off a serve receive.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After falling behind 6-0 in the opening set, the Hawk called a timeout and earned their first point off a Marcus Wloch's kill which set the 12-4 score.
- Joe Grisanti's service ace made it a 10-point spread while Converse and Wloch finished the Hilbert scoring in the 25-14 set.
- The Hawks were competitive in the second set, after they got their season opening nerves out of their system in set One.
- Hilbert fell behind 10-5 after manufacturing two kills and a pair of service aces.
- Converse strung together three consecutive serve aces and pulled Hilbert within nine (19-10) before they inched back to a six point spread (20-14) thanks to a Dylan Suter kill. Wloch closed the royal and white scoing with a service ace prior to three Golden Tornado points for the 25-16 final.
- Hilbert took control early in the third set, gaining a 2-0 lead off a Converse and Nick Diello block assist and a Geneva attack error. With a 2-2 score, Hilbert rolled three straight points all provided by Converse (kill and back-to-back aces).
- Geneva went on a 6-0 run, flipping the score back in their favor and extended their led to 15-9.
- Hilbert made it a two-point spread twice, yet offensive power at the net by Geneva helped them pull away for the 25-18 win.
GAME NOTES
- Hilbert earned 13 kills (-.060), 25 points, eight service aces, four blocks, 13 assists and 19 digs.
- Geneva earned 37 kills (.293), 60 points, 16 service aces, seven blocks, 35 assists and 31 digs.
HIGHLIGHTS NAZARETH
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Nazareth jumped out to an 8-1 lead and stretched it to 10-4 before the Hawks clawed back to a 16-13 score. Converse (2) and Wloch collected kills, Converse added another service ace and Wloch earned a block solo in that run.
- Suter and Chandler earned points for Hilbert before the final 25-16 score.
- Hilbert rebounded in set two, exploding with five unanswered points to build a lop-sided lead. Seven serves later, Nazareth knotted the score and then tacked four more points after a Hilbert timeout.
- The Hawks continued to battle at the net and after Diello and Converse finished plays with kills, Hilbert was down by two points (16-14).
- The Golden Flyers pulled away 21-14 and earned the 25-18 win off a kill.
- Set three continued the same pace as the middle game. The Hawks kept pace with a two-point spread until Naz tacked three points together which created enough cushion for the 25-13 win.
GAME NOTES
- Hilbert earned 17 kills (.066), 25 points, four service aces, four blocks, 16 assists and 24 digs.
- Nazareth earned 39 kills (.256), 55 points, 12 service aces, four blocks, 37 assists and 44 digs.
UP NEXT
Hilbert returns to Rochester tomorrow and will stay in Pittsford but travels around the corner for another tri-match at St. John Fisher. The Hawks will face Juniata College at 1:30 pm and the Cardinals at 3:30 pm.
