GENEVA, N.Y.—The 16th-ranked Hobart volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 sweep of Elmira this afternoon, clinching a postseason berth for the second straight season. With the win, the Statesmen move to 20-8 overall with a 3-4 record in the UVC, while the Soaring Eagles conclude their season with a 17-8 overall record and a 1-6 mark in conference play.

Hobart put on a dominant performance in the crucial conference matchup, leading Elmira in several statistical categories. The Statesmen put down 45 kills (.351) compared to the Soaring Eagles' 28 (.119) and held a 44-26 edge in assists. Hobart also had a 7-2 advantage in service aces and a 7-5 edge in blocks. The Statesmen combined for 47 digs compared to the Soaring Eagles' 33.

Sophomore Daniel Sappia led Hobart with a season-high 16 kills, hitting .424 in the sweep. He added five digs, two service aces and an assist for the Statesmen. Graduate student Andrew Kim chipped in 13 kills (.417) and 13 digs for his team-leading sixth double-double of the season. Kim added two service aces and one solo block in the win. First-year Alain Malcolm added a career-high eight kills (.500) out of the middle and chipped in four blocks and one service ace.

Elmira was led by Jordan Peiser's 14 kills (.209) and seven digs in the loss. Luke Jata chipped in six kills (.100), five digs and two blocks. Max Cohen tallied a team-high 20 assists in the loss.

MATCH MOMENTS:

• The Statesmen came out firing in the opening set, putting down 14 kills (.222) as a team compared to the Soaring Eagles' 10 (.048). Kim and Sappia led the way with five kills each and added a block to help Hobart to a dominating 25-19 win in set one.
• Hobart continued on its momentum in the second set, combining for 15 kills (.324) while holding Elmira to 11 kills (.200). The Statesmen stepped up its game from the service line and added three service aces to extend their lead with a 25-20 win in set two.
• The Statesmen shot out to a 10-3 lead to open the third set and never looked back. Hobart put on a dominant performance in the final set, putting down a match-high 16 kills (.556) and holding the Soaring Eagles' to a match-low seven kills (.125). The Statesmen continued to find crucial points from the service line and from its block to close out the sweep with a 25-12 win, securing a spot in the UVC playoffs for the second-straight season.

MATCH STATS:

• Sappia led the Statesmen with a season-high 16 kills (.424), while Kim chipped in 13 kills (.417) in the win. Malcolm added a career-high eight kills (.500), while sophomore Noah DeLong tallied six kills (.222) through three sets.
• Graduate student Benjamin Lincoln led Hobart from the setter position, tallying a match-high 40 assists in the win. Lincoln added six digs, three blocks and one kill (.333) in the sweep.
• The Statesmen combined for 47 digs as a team and were led by Kim with 13 and DeLong with 11. Sophomore libero Gavin Meador chipped in eight digs for Hobart.
• Hobart tallied seven service aces against Elmira and was led by Kim and Sappia with two aces each. Malcolm and sophomores Zack Farren and Grayson Getz chipped in one ace each in the win.
• The Statesmen impressed at the net and combined for seven total blocks against the Soaring Eagles. Malcolm led the way with four blocks, while Lincoln added three. DeLong chipped in two blocks in the sweep.

COACHES CORNER:

"I am so proud of the way we handled our senior day," said Head Coach Steve England. "We executed the game plan and put pressure on Elmira from the service line. We are playing our best volleyball going into UVC playoffs. I am fired up for the opportunity to experience playing meaningful matches in April."

UP NEXT:
 
With the win, Hobart has officially clinched a playoff berth for the second-straight season. The sixth-seeded Statesmen will head to New York City to take on third-seeded Vassar on Friday, April 11, at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to take on second-seeded Nazareth the following day.