By David F.P.  10-10-08 [Modest 2008 Hartford Volleyball Image Gallery]

The America East leading University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers came into Hartford’s volleyball gym on a Friday night where a raucous crowd of U of H athletes and fans awaited them including Hartford President Walter Harrison.

Set 1 opened up with a brawl to a 9-9 tie as each team basically matched each other point for point.  Hartford points included a Michelle Cordell kill of the blockers and out of bounds, an Erin Macro huge smash for the kill, a Maddison Molyneux kill, a Hallie Fullagar spike through the block, a Macro blast  of the defense and into the seats,  Macro hammering off the block, and later unleashing a huge spike for the 9th point.  The visitors scoring included a Hartford serve into the net, Sarah Hill spiking to a gap in the Hawk defense, an Alyssa Lang blast, Hill receiving a set and spiking it over, Sarah Ball picking up a kill, Bridget Scheetz knocking it over from the net, Ashley Oscars’ rocket flying off a defensive touch, and another smash from her.

The Retrievers picked up 3 straight pints off two kill Hill smashes with a Hartford lift error in between. Hartford called a time out to prevent the run from getting out of hand, and UMBC served into the net following the play stoppage.  Fullagar delivered a spike to end a long a rally, but a four hit error by the Hawks put their opponent’s lead back at 2 11-13. Lang hammered the ball over again for a kill, and Hartford spiked out of bounds to put the lead at 4, 11-15.

Fullagar returned fire with a big spike, but Ball responded with one of her own.  Hartford benefited from a UMBC mistake for a point, but the Retrievers scored off a spike after Sabrina Hoeks came up with a good defensive save.  Macro blocked an attack on the next play, but Oscars crushed one cross court and just in bounds. The score was 14-18. Macro struck again with a hammered ball off the blockers, but despite a good save by Danielle Etta, the Hawks hit out of bounds following that and the lead remained 4.  Another time out was called.

Allie Spaay served up an Ace for UMBC to extended the lead, though they gave up points on a double contact error, a spike out of bounds., and a spike into the net. The Hawks were now within 2, and another time out was called.  Cordell pulled the team within 1 when her tap over dropped in, and a Retriever error tied the score at 20. U of H served into the net though, a pair of attack errors put their opponents up by 3, 20-23.  Hartford’s Lindsay Makowicki blasted the ball off the defense’s touch and out of bounds, but Lang spiked a kill and a Hartford attack error ended the set, 21-25.  UMBC 1, Hartford 0.

Set 2 began with Oscars crushing the ball for a quick point. The two teams traded errors back and forth and it was soon 1-3.  Spaay scored an Ace when the home team mis set  the ball.  Molyneux spiked through the blockers, but Oscars responded with a blast. It was Macro again with the offense knocking the all off the defense. Two more Hartford points followed and it was 5-5.

Hill received a set and hit it home to take the lead for UMBC, and Hoeks stepped into serve. Her first serve landed just in bounds on the defense’s right corner for an ace. The Retrievers scored again on a tap over, and Hoeks served up another ace.  Makowicki stopped the run with a hit off the blockers, but UMBC’s Lang spiked off the blockers, and a Hartford error followed. With the score 6-11, Hartford called a time out.   Things stabilized slightly, but the deficit was great.  Two more UMBC points followed before an error on their part put the score at 7-13.  Hartford hit out of bounds, but Fullagar crushed an attack and got the point back.  Following a good dig by Hoeks though a teammate hit the ball over for another point.  Hartford scored again but it was 8-16.  The Hawks called another time out, but two UMBC points followed off another Oscars smash, and a U of H error.  Fullagar connected on a spike and UMBC hit out of bounds to get the Hawks back within 8, 10-18, but following a great defensive save by Lang, the Retrievers scored again, ands he slammed the ball off the blockers for a point of her own.  Cordell’s ginormous spike kept the Hawks in it, and following a good dig by Fullagar the U of H scored off a UMBC error. Macro landed an attack as well to the defense’s left corner and it was 14-19. A time out was called.  When play resumed, Macro hit a spike over which four Retrievers dived for, and none got.  But the visitors picked up two quick points on a Hill kill just in bounds, and a U of H error.

A UMBC error kept the Hawks going, but Lang had a big time spike. A Hartford attack out of bounds put the Retrievers within 2 of the win, 17-23. The visitors closed the set with a point off a Hawks miscue and Scheetz blasting an attack off the touch for a 17-25 set win. UMBC 2, Hartford 0.

In set 3, the Retrievers pulled out to a quick lead off a pair of Hartford errors and a Lang ace in between.  Hartford got on the board with a kill, but two more errors on their part put UMBC up 1-5.  The visitors served into the net, but got right back to scoring with a Oscars rocked and a Hawk error.  With the score 2-7, Hartford called a time out.

A UMBC error, and a Makowicki massive kill cross court got the Hawks back within 3, but Oscars hammered the ball over the net and a two contacts error came on the next rally. It was 4-9, but Hartford got back in on four straight points off a pair of visitor errors,  a Sarah Boss ace, and Cordell and Fullagar sharing a block.  A serve into the net ended the run with the score 8-10. Hoeks jumped up in the air smashed a serve across and picked up an ace. Makowicki responded crashing the ball off the defense to put the Hawks back within 2. The two teams traded errors, and UMBC pulled ahead when Scheetz hit one of the blockers despite a good save from Fullagar earlier in the rally.  A long rally battle followed including a great save by Macro, and eventually the Retrievers hit the ball out of bounds.  Scheetz unleashed a smash on the next point, but Hartford hit a dig over to score a point on the next rally.  A net error and a UMBC tandem block put them up by four 12-16 though.  The bleeding continued with two U of H straight errors despite a time out in the middle.

On the next rally UMBC dug the ball but it flew over the net instead of being set for an overpass. Macro pounced on it and smashed it down from the net for a point, but the Hawks attacked out of bounds and gave up two straight aces to the dangerous UC7 to put themselves down by 8, 13-21.  They hit into the antenna as well and the deficit was 9.  Makowicki didn’t give up and delivered a colossal crosscourt smash, and Fullagar crushed one through the blockers as well but a serve out of bounds and a Sarah Joy and Ball block put the Retrievers within 1.  They served into the net, but a Hartford attack error closed out the set and match 16-25.  UMBC 3, Hartford 0.

It was a hard fought match where the score certainly didn’t tell the whole story, though of course UMBC is a very tough team which is likely they are now 3-0 in the America East.  Hartford will have little rest with Albany coming to town tomorrow.