CONCORD, N.H. – NHTI Volleyball matched the best start in the program's available records dating back to 2011 Sunday afternoon, sweeping Paul Smith's College 25-15, 25-16, 25-13 during YSCC Volleyball Crossover Weekend at the Dr. Goldie Crocker Wellness Center.
The Lynx improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Yankee Small College Conference play, matching the 2012 team's 8-0 opening. NHTI now has seven straight-set victories through its first eight matches of the season.
NHTI served as the designated home team in a neutral-site matchup as part of the crossover format.
Set One: NHTI 25, Paul Smith's 15
NHTI established control early after Brooke Kelly (Nottingham, N.H.) opened the match with a kill. Haven Schwartz (Buxton, N.C.) and Emma Kowalski (Salem, N.H.) followed with kills as the Lynx built a 6-1 advantage.
Paul Smith's answered with three straight points to cut the lead to 6-4, but NHTI continued to keep the Bobcats at a distance. Ashlynn Williams (Greenfield, N.H.) put down a pair of kills during the middle portion of the set before back-to-back service aces from Esther de Souza Quina (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil) pushed the advantage to 15-10.
The Lynx pulled away from there. Kowalski recorded a kill to make it 17-10, Kelly later extended NHTI's lead to 20-14, and Kowalski followed with a service ace.
With NHTI leading 23-15, Schwartz delivered consecutive service aces to close out the opening set, 25-15.
Set Two: NHTI 25, Paul Smith's 16
NHTI again grabbed the early advantage, scoring the first three points before Paul Smith's responded with two of its own.
Kelly helped the Lynx begin creating separation with a kill and service ace on consecutive points, extending the lead to 9-6. NHTI pushed the margin to 10-6 and later 12-7, but the Bobcats continued to hang around, cutting the deficit to 13-11.
Kelly stopped the run with another kill to restore a three-point advantage.
The Lynx began pulling away late in the set. Kowalski's service ace made it 19-14 before Williams put down a kill for a 22-15 advantage. Addison Delotto (Derry, N.H.) followed with a kill to make it 23-16, and a Paul Smith's attack error brought NHTI to set point.
Kelly finished the frame with a kill to give the Lynx a 25-16 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
Set Three: NHTI 25, Paul Smith's 13
Paul Smith's took its first early advantage of the match in the third set, opening with the first two points and holding several one-point leads as the teams traded points.
NHTI repeatedly pulled even before a Williams kill tied the set at 8-8. The Lynx took the lead on the following point and quickly turned it into a 13-8 advantage, forcing a Paul Smith's timeout.
Williams later added a service ace to make it 15-9 before Kelly and Schwartz helped NHTI put the match away.
Kelly recorded kills that extended the advantage to 19-12 and 21-13 before delivering back-to-back service aces for a 23-13 lead. Schwartz then put down a kill to bring the Lynx to match point, and a Paul Smith's receiving error completed the sweep, 25-13.
With the victory, NHTI has equaled the 8-0 start produced by the 2012 team, the best start in the program's available records dating back to 2011.
The Lynx will have an opportunity to surpass that mark later Sunday when they face Word of Life at 4 p.m. in their final match of YSCC Crossover Weekend. The match will be available to watch live on YSCCSportsNetwork.com.
