UTICA, N.Y. – Hilbert Men's Volleyball dropped a pair of non-league contests Saturday in its second meetings of the season against two SUNY programs.

The Hawks fell to SUNY Poly, which went 2-0 on the day, after suffering a setback against SUNY Potsdam. Potsdam rebounded against Hilbert after opening the afternoon with a five-set loss to SUNY Poly.

Hilbert recorded 73 total kills (.170), 13 service aces, 13 total blocks and 96 digs while playing with an improved focus in the five-set nightcap thriller but was ultimately undone by opponent efficiency in key stretches.

Match One: SUNY Potsdam 3, Hilbert 0
(25-17, 26-24, 25-21)

Hilbert faced SUNY Potsdam for the second time in seven days and fell in straight sets despite a competitive second frame.

Potsdam hit an efficient .375 in the opening set to take early control. Hilbert responded in set two, keeping pace throughout and pushing the Wildcats to extra points. The Hawks hit .143 in both the first and second sets and had opportunities late, but Potsdam edged out a 26-24 win to seize momentum.

In the third, Hilbert battled behind improved offensive balance, recording 11 kills, but Potsdam closed out the match with a .192 hitting percentage in the final frame.

Nikolas D'Andrea led the Hawks with 10 kills, while Michael Pozzuto (7) and Mehkai Francis (6) added support. Brinton McClain distributed 26 assists and added four service aces. Defensively, Jacob Sehn posted 10 digs.

Match Two: SUNY Polytechnic Institute 3, Hilbert 2
(25-15, 28-26, 22-25, 21-25, 15-7)

Hilbert closed the day with a five-set battle against SUNY Poly in the most competitive match of the afternoon.

The Wildcats claimed the opening set, but Hilbert answered with a strong offensive showing in sets two and three. After dropping a tight 28-26 second set despite hitting .276, the Hawks surged back with consecutive wins in the third and fourth frames, hitting over .250 in both sets to force a decisive fifth.

In the final set, SUNY Poly capitalized on early runs and hit .316 to secure the 15-7 win.

D'Andrea delivered a match-high 19 kills and five blocks, leading a strong offensive effort that saw Hilbert hit .194 as a team. Francis tallied 32 assists and 10 digs in a double-double performance, while Sehn anchored the defense with 17 digs. Veal added four blocks at the net.

Hilbert (3-13, 1-2 AMCC) returns to AMCC action next week when they travel to Erie, Pa for a 7pm match at Penn State Behrend inside the Junker Center.