HAMBURG, N.Y.  – The Hilbert College Men's Volleyball team hosted their first of two tri-matches this spring and earned a 3-2 win at the end of the day against SUNY Poly after dropping the opening match to Elmira.  
 
The Soaring Eagles were too much for the Hawks as they earned a 3-0 match victory in the 12 noon game and they continued to roll with another 3-0 win over SUNY Poly in the middle match of the Saturday afternoon afair. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Elmira
 
Hilbert earned 10 points, seven kills, one service ace, two blocks, seven assists and 16 digs while giving up 54 points, 43 kills, eight aces, three blocks, 40 assists and 32 digs to Elmira.
 
The Soaring Eagles were too powerful at the net as they transitioned to power kills in multiple runs or their service placement was on point hitting deep in Hawk territory.  Because of their attack mentality from the service line, Hilbert was gifted 50% of their set points off Elmira service errors in each of the three sets. 

• Brad Converse and Chris Laboy earned two points for the Hawks in the first set (25-12), and Laboy was credited with a solo block as Converse picked up Hilbert's last three points off kills in the second set (25-11) .
• Converse and Mehkai Francis earned kills, Francis with the solo-Hilbert service ace and Nick Diello and Brodie Conklyn were credited with a block assist in the third set (25-15) 

Brad Converse was the only Hilbert player to finish with multiple kills as he led with five (4 digs) while Ryan Levcik was credited with five assists in the final two sets he played.  Luis Retamar added five digs in defeat. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SUNY Poly
 
Hilbert earned 62 points, 46 kills, six service aces, ten blocks, 43 assists and 56 digs while giving up 60 points, 51 kills, five aces, four blocks, 48 assists and 60 digs to Elmira. 

• Hilbert and Poly played neck and neck through the first 12 points in the first set.  Hilbert trailed 8-10 but took a 12-10 lead  and never looked back.  The Hawks stretched it to 18-11 with Converse and Suter securing a block assist and Mehkai Francis sneaking in a service ace.  Hilbert outlasted the Wildcat rally as they pulled within three points, but Suter and Chris Laboy put the match away with a pair of kills for the 25-21 set win.
• The Hawks exploded for a 7-0 lead with Francis and Converse / Francis and Laboy earning block assists in that run.  Hilbert extended the margin to 10-4 and traded serves until the 18-12 score. Both teams went on three-point runs and Hilbert made it a 25-18 win with Suter and Laboy closing with kills down the stretch.
• Hilbert looked in control through the early and middle part of the middle set.  The Hawks held a 9-5 then 14-7 and finally a 17-13 lead before the Wildcats clawed their way back to a 19-19 score.  There were four lead changes and Hilbert forced the seventh tie score (27-27) but a Poly kill combined with a Hilbert hitting error gave the guest the 29-27 win.
• SUNY Poly never trailed in the fourth set, but also didn't hold their largest lead (18-12) for very long.  Hilbert pulled within one point (20-21) off a Converse kill, yet the Wildcats secured the last four points of two kills, a service ace and a block assist to force the 5th set. (25-20).
• Converse and Alex Overhoff gave Hilbert two of their first five points, and Converse's second kill of the set and Overhoff's first service ace lifted Hilbert 8-6. Laboy swatted down a kill, Suter  with a service ace and Connor Higgins poking his solo block gave Hilbert the 12-7 margin. And then Higgins played a big role in the Hawks final three points; he finished a kill, paired with Laboy for a block assist and then scored the final point off another kill for the 15-10 win. 

Chris Laboy, Alex Overhoff and Brad Converse each secured double figure kills in the five set match.
Laboy led with 15 (.220) and two solo blocks while Overhoff added 11 kills and 12 digs, sharing team high honors with Converse (12 digs) who added 10 kills.
Francis Mehkai and Brad Converse chipped in three block assists while Austin Chandler led with 40 assists and 11 digs.
  
UP NEXT

Hilbert (2-5) hosts another AMCC game January 31st when they welcome Thiel College for a 7pm game in the Hafner Recreation Center.