NEW YORK, N.Y.- The Hunter College women's volleyball team opened City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) play with a four-set victory over CCNY on Tuesday evening at Nat Holman Gymnasium. The Hawks improved to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Hunter and CCNY went back and forth throughout a tightly contested opening set that featured 10 ties and six lead changes. The Hawks recorded 15 kills in the frame but were unable to close it out, dropping the opener, 25-22.
The Hawks responded in the second set. After another back-and-forth start, Hunter began to find its rhythm offensively, hitting .243 with 13 kills and just four errors. The Hawks pulled ahead late to take the set, 25-22, evening the match at one apiece.
Hunter took control in the third set with its strongest offensive performance of the night. The Hawks put down 18 kills while committing just four errors for a .333 hitting percentage. Hunter quickly created separation and never looked back, cruising to a 25-10 victory to take a 2-1 advantage.
Looking to close out the match, Hunter continued its efficient attack in the fourth. The Hawks hit .281 with 13 kills and four errors in the frame. After the teams battled early, Hunter pulled away down the stretch for a 25-21 win to secure the conference-opening victory.
Kassidy Cruz Nuesi led a balanced Hunter attack with 13 kills while hitting .346 and adding two service aces. Michelle Liu followed with 11 kills on a .290 hitting percentage, while Marina Goryuk and Varvara Kudinova each added 10. Kudinova hit .300 while recording 13 digs and two aces, and River Sutch contributed nine kills while hitting .316.
Sofia Marolla orchestrated the offense with 46 assists while adding 18 digs, three kills and two service aces. Maya Cosmo anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 25 digs, while Goryuk added 11.
Hunter finished the night with a season-high 59 kills and 55 assists while hitting .228 as a team. The Hawks also collected 83 digs and held CCNY to a .100 hitting percentage as Hunter earned its first league win of the season.
Hunter returns to the court on Sept. 24 at Merchant Marine. First serve is set for 7 p.m. in Kings Point, N.Y.
