HAMBURG, N.Y.  – The Hilbert College Men's Volleyball team hosted their Home Opener tonight against Medaille University and the Hawks earned the program's first-ever victory against the Mavs dating back to 2001.
 
Hilbert, leading after two sets, played through to a 15-11 fifth set win and claimed their first victory of the season. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Medaille was in total control in the opening set, building a 9-1 then 16-6 lead before the Hawks crept back into the game.  Hilbert earned five points, two off service aces to pull within three points (19-16).  The Hawks forced a 22-all score after the guest were tagged with three attack errors, one thanks to a block assist by Austin Chandler and Connor Higgins.  Both teams battled through even scores at 24, 25, 26, 27 until Hilbert pulled away with the 29-27 opening set win.  Dylan Suter was credited with a kill to knot the game at 27, Chandler and Suter combined for a great block on defense and Alex Overhoff finished the set with another kill.
• The second set wasn't a nail-biter as the first, as the Hawks built a 12-6 lead early.  The Mavs pulled within two points (17-15) only to fall back again.  Medaille gave Hilbert five of their final eight points even though Chandler and Suter paired up again at the net and Chris Laboy smacked the ball to the corner for the 25-17 win.
• The Hawks came out flat in the third set, trailing 20-8 before giving up a 25-14 loss.
• And things looked bad for Hilbert in the fourth set as they again trailed 7-1.  But the Hawks rallied and knotted the score at 13, at 18 and then found themselves down 21-19. Chandler, Mehkai Francis and Brad Converse clawed the Hawks back to a 22-all score.  Hilbert earned two more points off kills but with the score 24-all, Medaille scored one at the net and knotted the match at 2-2 off a service ace (26-24).
• Hilbert led 4-0 off three Medaille give-aways in the final set and then the nerves set in.  Both teams committed four service errors (8 in total).  Laboy earned three points off kills and Brad Converse's kill gave Hilbert the 14-10 lead. The Hawks were awarded their 15th point off a Medaille service error.  

GAME NOTES

Hilbert earned 70 points, 59 kills, sevn service aces, four blocks, 58 assists and 42 digs while giving up 52 points, 40 kills, five aces, seven blocks, 35 assists and 38 digs to Medaille.
 
Chris Laboy and Alex Overhoff reached double digit kills with 12 and 11 respectively.  The each hit over .300 for the five set match.  Austin Chandler led with 10 digs and was credited with 29 assists and three block assists.  Dylan Suter finished with three block assists and Connor Higgins added two.
 
UP NEXT

Hilbert (1-4) returns to the Hafner Recreation Center this Saturday and will host the first of two tri-matches at home this spring.   The Hawks will face Elmira College at 12:00 pm and then close the day with a 5pm battle against SUNY Ploy.  The Soaring Eagles and Wildcats will square off in a 2:30 pm mid-day contest.