KEUKA PARK, N.Y. – The Hilbert College Women's Volleyball joined a weekend tournament hosted by Keuka College tonight and slipped in a hard-fought four-set defeat against Thiel College. 
  
The Hawks dropped to 0-1 while Thiel picked up their first win of the year.  
 
THE BASICS 

• Final Score:  Thiel 11, 25, 25, 26  |  Hilbert 25, 22, 21, 24 

• Location:  JMW Recreation | Keuka 

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• Hilbert exploded for a 25-11 opening set victory after collecting eight kills with only five attack errors and three service aces.  The Tomcats were whistled for 10 hitting errors 

• The momentum shifted back to Theil in the second set where they finished with a .258 hitting percentage squeaking out a 25-22 win.  After trailing by as many as four points early, the Hawks took their first lead (11-10) but then traded sideouts with Thiel to the end. Hilbert finished with nine kills (.071) but still picked up two more service aces and a block. 

• The third set mirrored the second with Thiel outlasting the Hawks 25-21.  Thiel took a four-point lead before Hilbert stacked five points together to pull within one point (21-22). Hilbert swatted nine kills with their best attack percentage (.148) while holding the Tomcats to 10 attack errors (.000).  

• The Hawks controlled the early part of the fourth set, maintaining the lead through an 8-7 score.  Thiel tweaked the scoreboard in their favor briefly, until the Hawks looked in control (19-17) and forced a Thiel timeout.  Hilbert knotted the set at 24-all off a service ace but Thiel got the victory at the service line (26-24) 

•  McKenna Rice led at the net with nine kills (.263) and Molly McKinnon added a team-best three service aces while adding four kills and seven digs.  Natalie Ruhlmann picked up where she left off last season and recorded 20 digs as Jenna Revak chipped in 10 digs on defense. Jessee Jonathan and Mackenzie Mitchell shared setting duties passing for 16 and 14 assists respectively. 

UP NEXT 
 
Hilbert returns to the JMW Recreation Hall tomorrow for a 1pm match against Fredonia State before their 3pm tilt against the hosts, Keuka College.