NEW YORK — The Hunter College men's volleyball team pushed conference-leader Baruch to the brink in a tightly contested four-set match Tuesday night on the road, ultimately falling 30-28, 20-25, 20-25, 15-25 in front of a packed crowd filled with fans from both teams.

Hunter (15-10, 9-2 CUNYAC) came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .552 as a team with 18 kills and just two errors on 29 attempts. The Hawks battled through 10 ties and two lead changes in the first frame against the Bearcats (15-8, 13-0 CUNYAC) before closing it out 30-28, thanks in part to Ahmed Mohamed's early firepower and a steady tempo set by Brandon Yeh.

Conference Rookie of the Week, Mohamed, turned in his best outing of the season, notching a match-high 18 kills on 27 attempts with just five errors for a scorching .481 hitting percentage. He added four digs and one block assist, finishing with a team-high 18.5 points.

Lucas George was nearly flawless at the net, registering eight kills on 11 swings (.636) while contributing two blocks and two digs. Annes Deljanin added seven kills and an ace, attacking at a .357 clip, while also providing one dig and a block assist.

Kyle Foley chipped in 10 kills on 26 swings (.231), along with five digs and a solo block. His all-around presence helped steady the attack during Baruch's runs in the middle sets. Jon Pflueger tallied six kills, one ace, and one block assist, rounding out a well-distributed Hunter offense.

In total, the Purple and Gold recorded 51 kills on 99 total attacks, finishing with a solid .343 hitting percentage. The Hawks' offensive rhythm was coordinated by Yeh and Felipe Delgado, who combined for 42 of the team's 50 assists. Yeh also added four digs and one block assist, while Delgado contributed 13 assists and three digs off the bench.

Defensively, libero Nick Yao recorded three digs, while Crisostomo Ibarra led the backline with four. Wesley Stubbs and Admir Cekic also saw time in the back row, with Cekic adding one kill in limited action.

Despite the loss, Hunter showed resilience and grit in a match featuring 21 ties and eight lead changes. The Hawks controlled long stretches of the first and third sets but struggled to close late in the final two frames.

 The Hawks return to the court on March 27 as they host John Jay College in the Sportsplex at 6:00 p.m.