PURCHASE, N.Y.—The 16th-ranked Hobart volleyball team bounced back with a 3-0 nonconference sweep of Manhattanville College this afternoon in a battle of first-year programs in Kennedy Gymnasium. With the win, the Statesmen move to 16-10 overall while the Valiants fall to 9-14.

Hobart put on a dominant performance, recording 32 kills (.393) as a team compared to Manhattanville's 15 (.143). The Statesmen served up a season-high 16 aces in the sweep and allowed the Valiants to only three. Hobart also led the dig category, combining for 26 as a team compared to Manhattanville's 16.

First-year Daniel Sappia led the Statesmen with nine kills on zero errors for a season-high .750 hitting percentage. He added three digs and two service aces in the win. Classmate's Nate Magni (.400) and Aiden Kemora (.455) chipped in six kills each while first-year Nathan Deller added a career-high five kills (.571) for Hobart.

Joe Gandarillas led the Valiants with five kills (.200), two digs and one service ace. Pedro Barros Machado led Manhattanville from the setter position and tallied eight assists.
  
MATCH MOMENTS:

• Hobart came out swinging in the opening set, putting down 11 kills (.529) as a team compared to Manhattanville's five (.308). Graduate student Andrew Kim led the Statesmen with three kills (.400) and four service aces to grab a 25-15 win in set one.
• The Statesmen built onto their momentum from the first set in the second and tallied five service aces to the Valiants one. First-year Noah DeLong served up three aces from the line to lead Hobart to a 25-15 win in set two.
• Hobart put on a dominant performance in the third, combining for 13 kills (.360) as a team compared to Manhattanville's three (.062). Sappia exploded for six kills (.857) and one service ace to lead the Statesmen to a 25-18 win in set three to complete the nonconference sweep.

MATCH STATS:

• Sappia led Hobart with nine kills (.750), while Magni (.400) and Kemora (.455) chipped in six each. Deller added five (.571) in the win.
• First-year setter Noah DeLong recorded a season-high 31 assists in the sweep. He added four service aces, two blocks and two digs.
• The Statesmen combined for a season-high 16 aces as a team. DeLong and Kim led Hobart with four each while Sappia, Kemora and first-year Anthony Zontini chipped in two each. Magni and senior Dima Piskun added one ace each in the win.
• Hobart combined for 26 digs as a team and were led by sophomore Nico Diaz-Aguilar with six. Zontini chipped in five while Sappia added three in the sweep.

COACHES CORNER:

"Today was an amazing opportunity to build friendships within the volleyball community with Manhatanville," said Head Coach Steve England. "They are also a first-year program, and their head coach Tyker Blank is from the Western NY area. We had a joint practice yesterday and made some new friends on our spring break trip. We were able to play the majority of our squad today and it was an amazing example of the wonderful culture we have developed."

UP NEXT:
 
Hobart will be back in action Wednesday, March 27, when it heads to Elmira for a key UVC matchup. First serve between the Statesmen and the Soaring Eagles is set for 7 p.m. in Speidel Gymnasium.