HAMBURG, N.Y.  – Hilbert College hosted a men's volleyball trimatch for the second time this season and the Hawks came away with a 3-0 AMCC win over Mount Aloysius before they swept the Gators from Russell Sage at the end of the day.
 
Mount Aloysius earned a 3-0 non-conference win over Russell Sage in the middle match.
 
The Hawks evened their league record to 3-3 and improved to 6-10 overall.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MOUNT ALOYSIUS
 
The Hawks earned 39 points, 24 kills, 12 service aces, three blocks, 23 assists and 36 digs while playing the Mounties who collected 26 points, 20 kills, three aces, three blocks, 19 assists and 37 digs.
 
The Hawks dominated the first set, winning 25-10 and then played two close sets to finish the match at 3-0 

• Hilbert had 21 points on the score board before the Mounties click in at 10.  Hilbert earned three kills, one block assist and two service aces but led by 11 points late in the set.  Dylan Suter closed with a kill to pick up the first win.
• The Hawks didn't ever really pull away from Mount Aloysius in the second set, as they earned side outs every few points.  Hilbert held a 17-15 lead but then pulled away with a six-point run, setting the 23-15 margin.  Overhoff posted three consecutive service aces in that run.  The Mounties inched back to a 23-19 score, but two more MAC errors gave the Hawks the 25-21 win.
• The Mounties rushed out to a 5-point lead at the start of the third set, and maintained their lead while never allowing the Hawks to knot the score until Brad Converse earned an ace from the service line, 17-17.  Both teams traded leads to the 20-all score and then Hilbert pulled away.  Nick Diello and Brad Converse closed the day's scoring with a block assist for the 25-22 win. 

Brad Converse was active on offense and defense, leading the Hawks with seven kills (.429) and 11 digs as well a pair of block assists.  Austin Chandler dished 21 assists and was credited with three services aces, one shy of Alex Overhoff who collected four aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – RUSSELL SAGE
 
The Hawks earned 37 points, 29 kills, six service aces, two blocks, 26 assists and 32 digs while playing the Gators who collected 31 points, 25 kills, six aces, 25 assists and 38 digs. 

• The Hawks built a 16-9 lead in the first set before Russell Sage pulled within two points (14-16).  The Gators gave Hilbert their first point ahead of three kills by Chris Smith and a service ace by Overhoff which created enough space for the 25-16 victory. 
• Hilbert and Russell Sage were giving points away in the early part of the second set.  Both team's spotted the other five of their first nine points, setting the 9-9 score.  Hilbert sprinted away with a 10-point run, building a 19-9 margin.  Connor Higgins earned two points (kill and ace) while Ryan Levcik added a kill while the Gators gifted the rest of the points. Mehkai Francis, Ed Brust and Levcik's work at the net lifted the Hawks to the 25-19 victory.
• Things appeared to be in Hilbert's favor in the third set as they took an early 5-2 lead.  Joe Grisanti's kill increased the separation to 14-10 and his second kill of the game at 22-19.  Russell Sage did not quit and continued to attack at the net. Hilbert earned a 24-23 lead off an attack error and with the match on the line, Russell Sage called back-to-back timeouts to ice Mehkai Francis.  He delivered on the serve, but the Gators knotted the game off a kill.  Hilbert went back up, 25-24 off another RSC service error yet, found themselves in another 25-all score once again after a sideout.  Russell Sage committed another service error and then a ball handing error which gave Hilbert the 27-25 match win.    

10 different Hilbert Hawks earned kills in the final match of the day, led by Brad Converse (5), Chris Smith (4) and Ryan Levcik (4 kills – 21 assists).
 
Smith and Levcik led with six digs each and Luis Garcia, Ed Brust and Alex Overhoff kept play alive with four digs each.  Connor Higgins was credited with two block assists, sharing airtime with Levcik and Joe Grisanti.  
 
UP NEXT

Hilbert returns to AMCC action this Thursday, March 2nd when they travel to North Buffalo for a 7:00 pm game in the Sullivan Center at Medaille College.

The Hawks will another non-conference contest next Saturday, March 4 when they welcome St. John Fisher University in a 12:00 pm match.