West Hartford, Conn. - Casey Wright recorded a match-high 14 kills on .609 hitting, along with six total blocks, leading UAlbany to a three-set sweep of Hartford in America East Conference volleyball action on Friday evening. The Great Danes, who remain undefeated in league play, won the match with set scores of 25-15, 25-17 and 25-22. UAlbany has now won 11 of the team's last 12 matches, including seven straight.

            UAlbany jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead, as senior Brooke Stanley started the match with two service aces, sandwiched around a Hartford setting error. Wright recorded back-to-back kills to put UAlbany up, 12-6, and Dunja Prgomet served for three straight points, including a solo block by Wright. Michelle Cordell recorded a kill for Hartford to pull the Hawks within 15-9, but UAlbany continued to roll. A Hawk service error put the ball in Samantha Brostrom's hand for the Great Danes, building up a 20-11 lead. UAlbany got to set point on a block by Wright and Stanley, but Cordell took an assist from Danielle Etta to keep the set going. Wright then put a kill down the middle to end the set in UAlbany's favor.

            The teams played a closer start to the second set, tying it up three times in the early going before Wright recorded a kill to give UAlbany's Abbey Wexel serve. Wexel served for four consecutive points, getting a kill and a block from Wright in the rally, and putting the Great Danes head, 10-5. Brostrom recorded two kills for UAlbany to build the Great Danes' advantage to 15-8, forcing Hartford to take a timeout to regroup. The Hawks got back-to-back kills from Kami Nethersole, pulling within 16-13. However, the Great Danes continued to build a lead, holding onto a five point lead, 20-15, on another solo block by Wright. The senior middle blocker then got UAlbany to set point and recorded the set-winning kill once again.

            The third set was an early back-and-forth battle, with eight ties before UAlbany took the lead for good. Stanley served up an ace to knot the set at 11-11, and then served for three more points, including another ace, putting the Great Danes up, 14-11. The teams exchanged points before Hartford pulled within 18-17 on a UAlbany error. The Great Danes responded with a block by Wright and Stanley, and built up a 21-17 lead with kills by Brostrom and Stanley. Nethersole tallied back-to-back kills, pulling Hartford to within 23-21, prompting UAlbany to take a timeout. Brostrom tallied her 11th kill of the match to give the Great Danes set point, but Lindsay Anderson extended the set for Hartford. Stanley ended the set with a kill, keeping UAlbany's league record unblemished.

            Stanley quarterbacked the Great Danes to a .327 team hitting percentage, finishing with 34 assists, along with three kills, two digs and four service aces. Laurie Gonzalez led the team defensively, recorded a match-high 20 digs, while Prgomet added nine digs and five kills. Traci Vandegrift recorded eight kills on .375 hitting.

            Nethersole led Hartford (10-12, AE 1-4) with 11 kills, while Cordell added eight kills and 10 digs. Sareeta Nethersole added eight kills and nine digs. Setter Jackie Tamburri finished with 27 assists, seven digs and two block assists for the Hawks.

            UAlbany (11-7, AE 5-0) will return to action on Sunday afternoon, visiting New Hampshire in America East Conference play.

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UAlbany (11-7, AE 5-0) def. Hartford (10-12, AE 1-4), 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-22).

UAlbany 3, Hartford 0 (Oct 14, 2011)