GENEVA, N.Y.—The 10th-ranked Hobart volleyball team collected two more wins this season as it swept Mount Union and Houghton this afternoon in Bristol Gym. With the wins, the Statesmen move to 13-1 on the season, while the Raiders fall to 8-6 overall and the Highlanders fall to 0-7 on the season.

Sophomore right side Noah DeLong led Hobart this afternoon with 20 kills, hitting .400 through two matches. DeLong added five digs, five service aces and three blocks in the wins. He averaged 3.33 kills per set, 0.83 digs per set and 4.42 points per set to lead the Statesmen to back-to-back victories.

Graduate student Andrew Kim led Hobart in the opening match of the day with 14 kills (.500) and nine digs. He added two aces, two assists and one solo block in the win. Sophomores Aiden Kemora (.250) and Daniel Sappia (.241) also had big days for the Statesmen as they tallied 11 kills each through two matches. Kemora added four digs, three blocks and a service ace, while Sappia chipped in nine digs, and two aces in the wins.

MATCH MOMENTS:
 
Match 1 (Mount Union):

• Hobart came out strong to open the nonconference matchup with Mount Union, combining for 13 kills (.250) as a team. The Statesmen held the Raiders to a match-low six kills and a -.056 hitting percentage and found five kills from Kim to grab an early 25-18 win in set one.
• The Statesmen continued to roll in the second set as they combined for 13 kills again, hitting a collective .417 hitting percentage. Mount Union struggled to find an answer and put down seven kills (.115) in the second set. Hobart scored crucial points from the service line and tallied six aces to earn a dominant 25-12 win in set two.
• The Raiders responded well in the second set and forced eight tie scores as well as two lead changes with the Statesmen. Mount Union put down a match-high 12 kills (.194) but was matched with an efficient Hobart side that tallied 13 kills (.273) again to close out the sweep with a 25-21 win.

Match stats:

• Kim led the Statesmen with 14 kills, hitting .500 through three sets. Sappia chipped in eight kills (.261), while first-year Alain Malcolm added six kills (.385) out of the middle.
• Sophomore Zack Farren and graduate student Benjamin Lincoln led Hobart from the setter position and tallied 16 and 12 assists, respectively. The duo combined for 10 digs in the sweep.
• The Statesmen held a 44-35 advantage in digs against the Raiders and were led by sophomore libero Gavin Meador with 12. Kim chipped in nine, while Sappia added five digs in the win.
• Hobart held a 7-4 advantage from the service line and was led by first-year Josh Reilly with three aces. Kim and DeLong chipped in two service aces each.

Match 2 (Houghton):

• The Statesmen came out swinging to open their second match of the day and put down a match-high 17 kills, hitting .243 as a team. Hobart held Houghton to a match-low five kills (.200) to grab an early 25-17 win in set one.
• Hobart continued on its efficient attack and recorded 11 kills (.500) in the second set, while keeping the Highlanders to just six kills (.050). The Statesmen pressure turned up from the service line as they tallied six aces to grab a dominating 25-14 win in set two.
• The Statesmen impress all around in the third set as they tallied 12 kills (.400), five service aces and three blocks as a team. DeLong was unstoppable on the pin, putting down five kills on six swings in the third set. First-year Kian Kischke served up three straight aces to close out the sweep with a 25-19 win in set three.

Match stats:

• DeLong led Hobart with a season-high 15 kills (.565) in the second match of the day. He was followed by Kemora with six (.214), while four other players tallied four kills each. First-year Lawson Drabik (.000), sophomore Grayson Getz (.250), sophomore Nathan Deller (.800) and Kischke (.375) tallied four kills each in the win.
• Farren and Lincoln led the Statesmen from the setter position again and tallied 22 and 13 assists each, respectively. The duo added six digs and two service aces in the sweep.
• The Statesmen continued to impress defensively and tallied 29 digs compared to the Highlander's 17. Junior Harrison Keena led the way with seven, while Drabik chipped in five and Sappia added four digs.
• Hobart combined for a season-high 15 service aces against Houghton this afternoon. Kischke tallied a career-high four aces, while DeLong and Drabik added three each

 COACHES CORNER:

"We made good progress from the service line," said Head Coach Steve England. "I was pleased with the improvement we are making offensively. Zack and Ben are running a more balanced offense. We have to turn our focus and prepare for a top 10 matchup next Friday."

UP NEXT:
 
Hobart will be back in action Friday, Feb. 14, when it travels to Hoboken, New Jersey, to take on No. 5 Stevens. Action between the Statesmen and the Ducks is set for 7 p.m. in Canavan Arena.