By David F.P.October 1^st, 2008 [Modest 2008 Hartford Volleyball Image Gallery] [Modest 2008 CCSU Volleyball Image Gallery]

A good crowd was on hand to see the two Connecticut teams battle it out in the Volleyball Gym on the Hartford campus. Some of the fans were a bit rowdier than others, but it was a good turnout for the Hawks.

Set1

The home team got on the board quickly when Erin Macro spiked a shot from the net for a 1-0 lead. On the next play Hartford’s Danielle Etta came up with a great defensive save and a teammate blasted it by the defense to make it 2-0, and Macro scored again when she tipped the ball over from the net.Two consecutive Hawks errors put Central right back in it 3-2. The two teams battled to a 10-10 tie after that.Central’s points included a Lauren Snyder kill just in bounds to the defense’s left corner, as well as a teammates well placed spike as well.Maite Mendizabal had a big spike which ricocheted off a defender and into the seats, and Jamie Baumert had two straight points when she tipped the ball to a gap, and also hammered an attack off the blockers and out.Mendizabal would also score again following a play where Snyder made a solid defensive save. Central’s tenth point came from Amanda Olmstead tapping an attack over off a set.The Hawks scored in that periodin part through Maddison Molyneux slamming an attack off the block, Lindsay Makowicki delivering a kill of her own, and a few Central errors. Macro also picked up a good defensive save during a long rally.

At the 10-10 mark though the home team began to roll. Macro spiked off the lockers, and Hallie Fullagar picked up two straight aces to put the lead at 13-10.Snyder responded with a spike from mid court the popped of the block, and Olmstead attacked on the next rally to put her team back within 1. This was despite a great effort by Fullagar who fell into the seats after setting a ball back into play and keeping her team alive, for a bit longer before Olmstead finished it. Molyneux got the lead back to with a big time kill, and Lindsay Ford served up an Ace which flew off the defense’s outstretched fingers and out of play.Baumert sent a kill popping of the block to keep her team within 2, but Hartford pounced.Molyneux spiked off the block, and Macro served three straight aces despite a Central time out being called amidst the run.The score was 19-13 when a serve into the net ended the streak, but the home team was getting close.

The Hawks scored again when Makowicki and Michelle Cordell combined on a big block, Amanda Bayer won a battle at the net on the following rally and tapped the ball over to make it 20-15, but Makowicki struck with a kill off the defense.Olmstead and Bayer had a block of their own to keep the deficit at 6, but an error on their part had Hartford within 3, 22-16. A time out was called by the Blue Devils, but they came out of it with a hit into the net, and Hartford’s Macro and Fullagar came up with a block to make it set point.A Hartford error delayed the end, but Macro unleashed a spike for the 25^th point, 25-17. Hartford 1, Central 0

Set2

Central responded with a vengeanceAfter Hartford got on the board with a Fullagar kill which flew off the blockers, the Blue Devils built up a lead.Olmstead tipped an attack over from the net, and Snyder delivered a spike on the next point. Bayer’s ace made it 1-3, but Macro smashed an attack off the blockers to pull back within 1.A pair of errors by each team got the score to 3-4, but Olmstead and Tori Vaughan’s successive blasts brought the match to set 3.Makowicki responded with a kill, but Snyder’s attack from mid court following that bounced off the blockers for another visitor point.Molyneux had a huge spike off the Blue Devil block, but Bayer faked a set and dinked the ball over the net, and Baumert came up with an ace when the Hartford dig failed.The Hawks got back within 3 on a Central error, but Snyder’s attack flew off the defense next play putting the score at 6-10.Hartford called a time out and emerged from it with Fullagar’s kill. Three straight Hartford errors put the Central lead at 7-13 though. The home team picked up a point on a Central error, but Mendizabal returned fire to keep the lead at 6.Macro delivered a colossal spike in return, but an error by Hartford despite a great defensive play by Ford, brought the score to 9-15.

Central came up with a big time spike to end a long rally, and Hartford called another time out down 9-16.Central served into the net, but Baumert tipped a ball over the Hartford front line on the next rally to keep the lead at 7.Hartford came back with a Molyneux attack, and a Makowicki big kill, but a spike out of bounds stopped the comeback with the score 12-18.

A long rally ensued with great defensive plays by Bettina Woodman and Ford before Olmstead hammered a spike for the kill. Fullagar blasted the ball to a defensive corner just in bounds to keep the deficit at 6, but Olmstead responded rocketing her spike off the defense for Central’s 20^th point.
Hartford attacked into the net to give Central another point, but Cordell delivered a precision kill just in bounds on the next rally. Another Hartford error put Central within 3 of the win, but Macro didn’t want to let it end and her humongous smash flew off the Devils to keep the Hawks going. It would be the last Hartford point though and three Hawks errors gave CCSU the win in the set. Central 1, Hartford 1

Set 3

After two sets in which one team had an advantage, set 3 would be a largely even affair.There seemed to be some scoring oddities that I haven’t figured out but the two teams battled to a 12-12 tie.Hartford points came in part from a Fullagar ace, a Molyneux ginormous spike, another Macro rocket blast, a Molyneux kill following a great dig by Sarah Boss, Makowicki finding a corner to knock a spike into, a Fullagar blast, and another smash by her, as well as Ford and Macro stuffing a Central attack with a block.The Blue Devil scoring came largely from a Snyder spike, some Hartford errors, a Baumert attack from the net, and another Snyder spike where the Hawks return hit the ceiling and bounced out of play, as well as Olmstead’s mega spike and two Bayer aces. Amidst all this there was one rally that went on forever and featured great defensive plays by Kaitlin Petrella three times, as she responded to Hawk attacks, and Baumert also had a good defensive save though Hartford eventually won the point, but had to really fight for it.

The score was 12-12 but the two sides continued to battle to a 19-19 tie again. The home team scored on a Macro crosscourt smash, Molyneux blasted one of the blockers, Makowicki unleashed a smash when a Central dig flew over the net unintentionally for the overpass. Fullagar picked up another kill as did Macro hammering through a block to the floor.Central’s scoring came from a Mendizabal attack from the back court, Baumert stuffing a Hawk attack with a block, a Vaughan knock off the defense, Baumert accepting a solid set and whacking it over the net, and a Hartford error.

The Hawks the lead 20-19 when Macro came up with another kill from the net. Central called a time out, but their opponents struck again when Macro and Fullagar delivered a block stuffing another CCSU attack. Central committed an error, and another Hartford spike followed. The score was now 23-20, but the Blue Devils roared back with Olmstead rocketing a set ball in, a Hawks error, and Olmstead picking up an Ace to tie the game up 23-23. Hartford called a time out to regroup, and Central spiked into the net to give Hartford the lead, but a CCSU spike tied it back up and Snyder served up an Ace to regain the lead for the visitors. An error on their part brought he score to 25-25, but Baumert took advantage of another good set during the next rally and spiked one home.Hartford hit a return into the antenna following that and Central won the set 27-25.

Set 4

The fourth frame would not be as close as the third though.Fullagar got the Hawks on the board with a precision kill to the corner, but Central came up with a spike n responseMacro knocked one of the blockers for a second point, but Central responded and took the lead when Olmstead picked up an ace,followed by Baumert and Snyder stuffing an opponent attack with a block.

Olmstead served up another ace when the defense had a miscue. Vaughan and Baumert then scored a block as well and it was 2-6.Molyneux got the Hawks back into it with a tap over which floated away from the defense and Ford picked up an ace.Following a Hartford error Central had a 3 point lead again.The two teams traded more points, but the score rose to 5-10 Central, before Hartford called a time out.

It wasn’t apparent at the time but the Hawks had scored nearly half the points that they would I the set out of the time out Baumert smashed her attack into the gap, and a Hartford error put the lead at 7.A Hartford error cut the lead to , and Molyneux picked up an ace, but central rolled.Snyder dug a ball which flew over the net but the defense didn’t return it, then came an error, and Mendizabal tipped a ball at a gap in the D. The score was 7-15 and the Hawks called a time out.

A Central error handed them a point, but Olmstead tapped an attack over and scored again on another attack. Hartford scored again to make it 9-17, but Snyder smashed her kill in from the net, another CCSU point followed, and a Hartford four hit error.Bayer then aced in a serve, and the Hawks spiked an attack out of bounds.
The score was 9-22 and things were looking dire. Olmstead and Vaughan blocked to the gap to put their team within 2.
An exchange of two errors per side gave central the set and match win 11-25 in a hard fought battle score not withstanding. Central 3, Hartford 1.