McCauley, Brostrom Earn Double Double as UAlbany Beats Hartford in Four

UAlbany played its final regular season home match on Sunday, taking down Hartford in four (25-20, 26-24, 22-25, 25-14) for its third win in four matches

“We are happy that we won this match to close out our home season,” says coach MJ Engstrom. “Now we move on to a tough match against New Hampshire next weekend.”

Mikala McCauley earned her nine double double of the year with 33 assists and a career-best 19 digs, while Samantha Brostrom earned sixth double double number six of the year with a team-best 13 kills, adding 10 digs.

Tied 2-2 in the first set, a Sofia Furlong-Amanda Dolan combo block started a 4-0 UAlbany (8-17, 8-4 AE) run on Viktoriia Stroilo’s serving. Hartford (10-18, 4-8 AE) won five of the next six to pull within one, but a kill and ace by Tatum Jungsten kept the UAlbany lead, until a 3-0 Hartford run tied the game at 10. After back-and-forth play, back-to-back Brostrom kills put UAlbany up, followed by a Hartford attack error to make it 16-13 home team. UAlbany did not trail again in the set, taking four of five to lead 20-15. A Furlong kill and Lauren Spreen ace helped seal the set as UAlbany won game one 25-20.

An Amy Hunter solo block and McCauley ace started UAlbany with a 2-0 lead in the first set, later going up 4-1 on a Dolan kill and block. Hartford countered by winning seven of the next 11 to tie the set at 8-8. At 12-12, UAlbany took advantage of four straight Hartford errors to lead 16-12, later 17-13. The Hawks won four-in-a-row on a kill, ace and a couple of blocks to tie the set again at 17. At 19-18, a 3-0 run by Hartford, capped by two Sareeta Nethersole kills, to take a 21-19 lead. After a UAlbany timeout, Hunter earned a kill to sideout, then Brostrom earned two kills in a row to put UAlbany back in the lead 22-21. Back and forth the team went, as Hartford defended against match point with a Nethersole-Maya Louis combo block, but on the second chance, Hunter crushed the ball for a kill, giving UAlbany the set 26-24 and putting the home team up 2-0 in the match.

Game three saw each side make a number of runs. UAlbany had the first one, a 3-0 run including a McCauley ace, then Hartford had a similar run started on a Jackie Tamburri kill. Following UAlbany going back up 5-3, Tamburri served Hartford through a 4-0 run for a 7-5 lead. UAlbany tied it up at 7-7 and the sides continued long exchanges. At 13-13, four-in-a-row for UAlbany put the Great Danes up 17-13. Against Hartford struck back with winning six of the next seven for a 19-18 advantage. Engstrom called timeout at that moment; the Great Danes responded with a 4-0 run, sandwiched by a pair of Brostrom kills, to take back the lead 22-20. But Nethersole earned a block and two kills to help Hartford win the final five points as the Hawks won 25-22, forcing a fourth set.

Three straight points capped by a Spreen ace helped UAlbany lead 3-1. After Hartford tied it up at three, a Dolan block, two straight Stroilo aces, two Brostrom kills and a Hartford attack error in order made it 9-3. Later at 11-6, a Hunter kill sparked a 3-0 run to make it 14-6 UAlbany. A Nethersole kill started a 6-0 run on Taylor McCreery run to push Hartford within two at 14-12. After an exchange, a 7-0 UAlbany run on Spreen’s serving, including a kill and two blocks each from Dolan and Furlong, gave the Great Danes a 22-13 advantage. A Dionna Kirton kill ended the run, but UAlbany took the final three points to earn the set 25-14 and take the match in four.

Stroilo finished with a match-best 30 digs and three aces at libero. Dolan had five kills and seven blocks, while Furlong had six kills and five blocks.

For Hartford, Nethersole had a double double with 14 kills and 15 digs, as did Tamburri with 36 assists and 24 digs.

UAlbany takes on first-place New Hampshire in Durham on Friday at 7 p.m.