Oneonta, NY – The SUNY Brockport women's volleyball team had its season come to an end Wednesday night, falling to Hartwick, 3-2, in the Empire 8 Semifinals. The No. 2 seeded Hawks advance past the No. 3 seeded Golden Eagles to face the No. 1 seed in St. John Fisher for the E8 Title.
With the season on the line, the two teams went back and forth in a tough battle through the first set. Brockport would reach 20 first with a 2-point lead. Then a clutch 4-point run would lead to a 25-22 win to start the match up, 1-0.
The second set started out like the first in the early stages, with the teams trading points. The Golden Eagles would slowly create a slight lead, and a 4-0 run put them ahead 20-14. Brockport would take a 2-0 lead for the match with a 25-18 win in the second.
Hartwick bounced back strong in the third looking to extend the match. The Hawks jumped out to a commanding 16-5 lead in the set. Brockport clawed its way back into it, trailing, 22-17, later in the set. However, Hartwick held on for the 25-21 win to send the match to a fourth set.
With all the momentum at home, the Hawks would start off hot with a 7-1 lead in the fourth. Brockport responded with a quick run to tie the score up at 7-7. With Hartwick edging out a 14-13 lead, the team would go on a big spurt to take control. A 9-2 run put the Hawks in position for the 25-19 win in the fourth.
Tied up at 2-2, this Empire 8 Semifinal match was heading to fifth set to decide who advanced to the championship round. With home court advantage, support from the crowd, and all the momentum, Hartwick controlled the fifth set. The No. 2 seed would win the final set, 15-6, to clinch a spot in the E8 Title match.
Alexis Sison (16),
Madisen Jones (13),
Alenna Williamson (11), and
Ana Parella (10) all had double-digit kills offensively. They were set up consistently by
Kaitlyn Jewett, who finished the match with 45 assists.
It was a group effort all night defensively for the Golden Eagles with five recording 10 or more digs.
Kaitlyn Jewett (17),
Alexis Sison (17),
Gianna Felipe (16),
Grace Ippoliti (14), and
Luba Butcher (12) all got in on the action.
Brockport totaled 22 block assists in the match as a team, led by eight from
Ana Parella. Sison totaled seven, with five assists and two solo blocks. Williamson (1 solo), Butcher, and Jones all had three block assists as well.
The Golden Eagles will conclude their season with a second straight E8 Semifinal run in their second year with the conference. They went 17-9 overall on the season with a 9-2 record in conference play.
