Manhattan jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the opening set and led 11-5 before a 10-2 Hartford rally, including seven consecutive points with Sarah Boss serving, gave the Hawks a 15-13 advantage. The Lady Jaspers scored the next two points to tie it at 15-15. Hartford went back in front 23-21, but a block by Rita Welsh (Collegeville, Pa.) and Aurore Kullak (Beloeil, Belgium), followed by a Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.) service ace again pulled Manhattan even. Hartford broke the tie and reached set point on a kill by Sydney Scott, then capped a 25-23 win with an Erin Macro kill.
The Lady Jaspers again took the early lead, 4-1, in the second set before Hartford scored eight of the next nine points to go up 9-5. Manhattan chipped away and tied the score at 15-15 on a Kullak kill, then regained the lead on a service ace by Laura Bellotti (Dix Hills, N.Y.). A Bellotti service error on the next point evened the set at 16-16, and the sides were even six more times before the set was decided. With the score knotted at 24-24, Kullak delivered a service ace to bring Manhattan to set point, and the Lady Jaspers converted on their first opportunity to win the set, 26-24, and even the match at 1-1.
Once again, Manhattan jumped out to a lead, 5-1, early in the third set. The Lady Jaspers ran their advantage to 8-2 and held the lead for much of the set. Hartford used a 5-0 run to force a 20-20 tie before Diane Strutner (San Jose, Calif.) slammed a kill to ignite a 4-0 Manhattan rally that brought the Lady Jaspers to set point. The Lady Jaspers needed three opportunities before finally closing out the set, 25-22, and taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
After the sides traded points early in the fourth set, the Hawks seized control with an 8-0 run that turned a 12-10 Hartford lead into a 10-point advantage. Manhattan hit -.053 (four kills, six errors, 38 attempts) in the fourth set, as Hartford sent the match into a decisive fifth set with an easy 25-13 win.
In the fifth set, Manhattan took an early 3-1 lead before Hartford responded to go ahead 5-4. The Lady Jaspers scored the next three points to regain the lead, 7-5, then the Hawks went back in front, 10-9. The back-and-forth action continued, as the lead changed hands twice more before the score was deadlocked again, the eighth tie of the set, at 13-13. Hartford reached match point on a kill by Kami Nethersole, then Maddison Molyneux pounded a kill to finish off the set, 15-13, and the match. The two-point margin required to win was Hartford's largest lead of the fifth set.
Kullak led the Lady Jaspers with 11 kills and added nine digs, while Strutner posted her second straight double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) also slammed 10 kills for Manhattan, and Bellotti notched her third double-double of the season with 33 assists and 15 digs. Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) tallied a career-high 29 digs. As a team, Manhattan hit .101 (45-27-179) in the match.
Nethersole, the reigning America East Rookie of the Week, led five Hawks in double figures with a match-high 16 kills. She added 15 digs to complete a double-double. Macro also had a double-double with 15 kills and 16 digs, while Lindsay Ford tallied 52 assists and 15 digs. Michelle Cordell had seven blocks to go along with 10 digs, and Danielle Etta returned 24 digs, as the Hawks outdug the Lady Jaspers 92-86. Hartford hit .172 (67-33-198) as a team.
Manhattan, which is now 1-1 at the Blue Devil Invitational, concludes the tournament later on Saturday afternoon with a matchup against NJIT (5-0) at 4 p.m. The Highlanders, who took on host Central Connecticut State in Saturday's second match, beat Hartford 3-0 on Friday night.