By: Christian Hince | October 14, 2021
The Great Danes started strong and finished stronger in a decisive 3-0 sweep of Hartford on Friday. UAlbany moves to 6-11 and 2-1 in the America East, while the visiting Hawks fall to 2-14 with a conference record of 0-3.
“I’m proud of how the team battled tonight,” said head coach Josh Pickard after the match. “We worked this week to come out from the beginning and we were able to do that.”
The first set started with back-and-forth points from both teams until Hartford scored three straight to go up 7-4. This control was short-lived however, as the Great Danes roared back with four consecutive points to go up 12-8. UAlbany maintained a narrow lead up near the set’s end, but another 4-point run turned a 21-20 lead into a 5-point victory, 25-20.
The Great Danes began the second set strong with a 4-1 advantage, but were met with some pushback when the Hawks tied it at 7-7. UAlbany took back control though with 6 straight points, served by Kamara Kelly that put them up 14-8. The team kept a secure lead until the set’s end, winning 25-19.
UAlbany started out even hotter in the third set, riding two four-point runs to an 11-3 advantage. Victory was secured with another two four-point streaks, as a service ace from Anna Chalupa ended the night with a resounding 25-12 win.
Chalupa’s clinching point was one of six service aces for the Great Danes. Senior Charlotte Macken totaled team-highs with 14 digs and 19 receptions, while graduate student Danielle Tedesco led in kills with 12, and blocks with 4. Tedesco also owned a .500 hitting percentage, while the team as a unit outhit Hartford .288-.088.
With two consecutive sweeps under their belt, UAlbany will look to keep up the momentum at NJIT on Sunday.