HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College Women's Volleyball team got a big lift from the Hawks Nest tonight and their energy was contagious on the court.
Cazenovia rallied back and forced the fifth set and then held on to win the non-conference match 3-2 against Hilbert.
The Hilbert Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted a Pink Out event with the goal of raising money to assist the family of a first-year men's basketball team member whose mom is battling in her fight against Breast Cancer.
((((Anyone interested in making a financial donation please click the HOW YOU CAN HELP blue bar at the top of this story.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Cazenovia 19, 25, 19, 25, 16 I Hilbert 25, 23, 16, 14
- Location: Hafner Recreation Center | Hamburg, NY
- Records: Hilbert 4-18, 0-4 AMCC I Cazenovia 8-15, 3-4 North Atlantic
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hilbert earned 62 points, 50 kills, seven service aces, five blocks, and 56 digs while Cazenovia collected only 56 points, 41 kills, three blocks, and 43 digs. The only stat-line the Wildcats were better than Hilbert were in service aces, where they finished with 12.
- Maria Spinelli was on fire at the net as she earned game-high honors with 15 kills (.226) and Michaela Rice and Katie Kociszewski both came up big with nine kills in the middle. Jenna Revak was terrific on offense and defense adding seven kills and 14 digs as was Jaden Helbig who tossed her body around all night to collect nine digs, 40 assists, one solo block and two block assists. Angelita Ledesma earned another double figure stat posting 10 digs in addition to all touches on the ball directly off the serve.
- All five sets were full of momentum shifts.
- The Hawks led from start to finish in the first set, although Caz knotted the score three times, the last at 13-13. Hilbert went on a 9-2 run which gave them a large cushion to pull the first set 25-19.
- Hilbert jumped out early again, kept the lead through a 13-11 score. The Wildcats rallied with a seven-point swing (18-13) before the Hawks shifted their gears and forced a 21-21 score late. Hilbert held the lead, 23-22 but attack errors lifted the guests to a 25-23 win.
- Cazenovia took the lead in the middle set and it was Hilbert who found their groove to come back. Down 7-3, Revak served Hilbert to a 9-7 advantage and the lead, even though both teams traded points over the next 19 serves. Cazenovia took their only lead (18-17) but then Helbig served the team to victory. She earned a pair of aces, and Spinelli (2) and Ashley Page padded their kills in that 25-19 win.
- Momentum shifted to the Wildcats in the fourth set, and they built a 9-3 score and stretched it to 17-10. While Caz earned points in pairs, Hilbert tacked points on one at a time down the stretch and ran out of time with the Wildcats winning 25-16.
- Even though Cazenovia started fast in the fifth set, Hilbert didn't quit, and their fan support gave them an emotional lift. The Wildcats led 6-1 and 9-4 before Hilbert pulled closer, trailing 11-7. Michaela Rice started the Hilbert rally with a kill, and then a service ace after Spinelli earned one of her kills at the net. Kociszewski and Spinelli were heated and killed two more balls which gave Hilbert a 12-11 advantage. Both teams gave their opponents points the rest of the set, with Hilbert giving five off attack errors and getting only two in return. Cazenovia stole the 16-14 set and match victory from the Hawks.
UP NEXT
Hilbert finishes their three-game home stand this weekend when they host Mount Aloysius this Saturday, October 22 in an 11:00 am game in the Hafner Recreation Center.
