NEW YORK, N.Y.- The Hunter College women's volleyball team continued its unbeaten run in City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) play Tuesday evening, earning a 3-0 sweep over Brooklyn College at home.
The Hawks (9-8, 4-0 CUNYAC) faced their toughest test in the opening set against Brooklyn (5-11, 3-1 CUNYAC). The frame featured eight ties and five lead changes as both teams traded points throughout. Hunter's offense delivered 16 kills while hitting .214, holding off the Bulldogs down the stretch for a narrow 25-23 victory.
Hunter carried that momentum into the second set, establishing control early and never surrendering the lead. The Hawks maintained their offensive efficiency, hitting .208 while limiting Brooklyn to a .086 mark to secure a 25-19 win and take a 2-0 advantage.
The Purple and Gold saved their most dominant performance for the third, holding Brooklyn to just four kills and a negative hitting percentage. Hunter put down 11 kills of its own and cruised to a 25-14 victory to complete the conference sweep.
Michelle Liu led the Hawks offensively with a match-high 11 kills while hitting .269 and adding seven digs. Kassidy Cruz Nuesi followed with six kills and a match-high six service aces, while Arianna Calderon Jimenez and Varvara Kudinova each contributed six kills. Calderon Jimenez also added six digs and three assists.
Sofia Marolla turned in an impressive all-around performance, directing the offense with a match-high 29 assists while adding 11 digs and four kills without an error on eight attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Maya Cosmo anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 15 digs, while Melissa Alfaro contributed three kills on six attempts without an error and four total blocks.
Hunter finished the evening with 36 kills, 35 assists, 45 digs and 10 service aces while hitting .209 as a team. The Hawks held Brooklyn to a .067 hitting percentage in the victory.
"Tonight was a great win for the team. We played a great conference opponent and executed at a high level," said head coach Sean Salomons. "I'm really proud of our effort and attention to detail tonight. I'm excited to see how much more improve heading into some big games against Baruch and John Jay."
The Hawks return to the court on Oct. 22 for a conference game hosted by Medgar Evers at the Hunter Sportsplex. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.
