AURORA, N.Y. – Hilbert College manufactured the team's  best hitting percentage, averaging 11 kills per set, but Hawks started the day slowly and suffered a 3-1 defeat in a non-conference men's volleyball contest at Wells College tonight. 

THE BASICS

• Final Scores  Wells 25, 25, 23, 25   |   Hilbert 13, 22, 25, 15
• Location:  Swartz Athletic Center | Aurora, NY
• Records:   Express 3-12  |  Hawks 2-20

GAME NOTES

• Three Hawks notched double figure kills, the most secured in a four-set match.  Ryan Levcik led with 17 points, earning 12 kills, four service aces, and two block assists.  But it was Brad Converse who led with a team-best 16 kills with only four hitting errors in 38 swings (.316) and team-high 11 digs in four sets. 
• Dylan Suter broke into double digits with 10 kills tonight (.200) and two block assists.  Austin Chandler finished with 38 assists and Luis Retamar added eight digs and two other team assists.
• The Hawks were credited with 54 points off 44 kills (.172), five service aces, 38 digs and five blocks while the Express earned 72 points, off 61 kills (.336), three  service aces, 53 digs and eight blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Converse, Levcik and Wloch each swung for kills and kept Hilbert within two points on multiple occasions in the opening set. The Express stretched their lead to six points (12-6) and maintained that spread until they reached a 23-12 advantage.  Suter was credited with Hilbert's final kill before the hosts earned the 25-13 win.
• Hilbert found its rhythm early in the second set, building a 4-2 advantage.  The Express earned three of their next four points and took a 6-5 lead.  The Hawks knotted the game 15-15 forced a Wells time out and continued the pace, point-for-point, after the break.  Hilbert forced five more tied-score situations with the final at 22-all.  Wells earned the next two points off kills and the set point off a Hilbert attack error.
• Wells took an early lead but the Hawks would not be denied in the third set.  Hilbert rallied with five consecutive points – three from the service line by Levcik- and took their first lead 10-9.  Both teams traded points, playing through five additional knotted scores.  Wells evened the scoreboard at 16-16 and stretched their lead by two, which forced a Hilbert timeout.  The Hawks earned four of their next five points off attacks (Suter, 2K/Converse 1K and Levcik ace) to take a 21-18 lead.  Hilbert gave the Express their next three points, knotted the game at 21-all and then traded points until a 23-all score.  Converse and Levcik put the game away at the net and secured the 25-23 third-set win.
• Levcik, and Converse combined their kills with Chandler's service ace, lifting Hilbert 4-2 at the start of the fourth set. On two separate occasions Wells matched Hilbert's score, and took their first lead 10-9.  The Hawks knotted the score at 11-all but Wells swings gave them 11 of their next 14 points to secure the 25-15 win.

UP NEXT

The Hawks host their final home games of the 2022 season this weekend when they welcome Penn State Altoona and Hiram College to the Hafner for an AMCC trimatch beginning at 12 noon.  Please stop by Saturday, the 26th, and show support for Matthew Domagala and Marcus Wloch who will be competing in their final home game of their collegiate careers.