NEW YORK, N.Y.- The Hunter College women's volleyball team closed out its regular-season conference schedule Tuesday evening, falling to John Jay College in four sets at the Doghouse. Despite the setback, the Hawks secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Tournament, earning a first-round bye and home-court advantage in the semifinals.
The Hawks (11-12, 6-1 CUNYAC) battled through a competitive opening set against John Jay (9-17, 6-1 CUNYAC), which featured eight ties and six lead changes. Hunter recorded 10 kills but was unable to pull ahead down the stretch, dropping the frame, 25-21.
Hunter struggled to establish its offensive rhythm in the second, recording seven kills as the Bloodhounds took another 25-21 victory to build a 2-0 advantage.
Facing elimination, the Hawks responded with their strongest performance of the night in the third. Hunter hit .290 with 12 kills and just three errors while holding John Jay to a .059 hitting percentage. The Purple and Gold took control late in the frame, securing a 25-17 victory to extend the match.
Hunter was unable to carry that momentum into the fourth as John Jay pulled away for a 25-13 win to close out the contest.
Arianna Calderon Jimenez led the Hunter attack with a team-high 11 kills while hitting .161. River Sutch followed with seven kills and 13 digs, adding a match-high five aces to lead the Hawks from the service line.
Kassidy Cruz Nuesi provided a strong presence at the net, recording four kills and a match-high five total blocks, including four solo. Melissa Alfaro contributed four kills on a .231 hitting percentage while adding two total blocks, and Astrid Alayo chipped in four kills.
Sofia Marolla directed the offense with 22 assists and 10 digs, while Maya Cosmo anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 17 digs and two service aces. Natalie Morrill added 10 digs, giving Hunter four players with double-digit digs.
The Hawks finished the evening with 31 kills, 28 assists, 60 digs and nine service aces while recording seven total blocks.
Hunter returns to the court for the final game of the regular season at No. 10 New Youk University on Nov. 7. First serve is slated for 2 p.m.
