HAMBURG, N.Y.  – The Hilbert College Men's Volleyball team put up a great fight against the No. 1 Penn State Behrend Lions tonight, but they came up short on the score board dropping a 3-set match in the Hafner Recreation Center.
 
The Hawks made the Lions work for their points.  Hilbert kept plays alive with quick-reaction hits and longer rallies.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The Hawks earned 25 points off 21 kills (.000) three service aces, and one block.  Hilbert was also credited with 20 assists and 34 digs in the three-set match against the Lions.

Behrend recorded 39 kills (.309), five service aces and six blocks which totaled their 50 team points. 

• After trading points early in the opening set, the Lions used a seven point run to create an 11-4 lead.  The Hawks pulled within four points (15-11) but allowed Behrend to stack five more points together as they rolled to a 25-16 win.  Chris Laboy earned the only Hilbert block of the night after he and Converse recorded back-to-back back kills setting the 20-14 score.
• The second and third sets were mirrors to each other.  Hilbert hung around with Behrend till an 8-8 score in the middle set and then gave up multiple runs, falling 25-11.  The hosts stayed with Penn State Behrend deeper into the third set, keeping pace offensively to a 14-13 score.  But Behrend used a five-point run to take the match at 25-15.

Brad Converse led the Hawks with 13 digs and he matched Dylan Suter's efforts on attack with six kills each.
Austin Chandler was credited with 16 assists and nine digs while Luis Garcia finished with only five digs but was the main target on serve reception most of the night and he responded.
 
UP NEXT

With one game remaining on their 2023 schedule, the Hawks will travel to Beaver Falls, Pa Saturday for their final match at Geneva College.  The Golden Tornadoes, the No. 1 seed in the South Division, will host the Hawks at 1pm April 8. 

A win by Hilbert or a loss by Medaille University (vs. Hiram) will give the Hawks the program's first AMCC postseason bid.