EASTON, Pa. – The Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team dropped its first match at the Lafayette Invitational, falling in straight sets to Hartford (25-16, 25-13, 25-17) on Friday afternoon.
 
Freshman Jessica Throckmorton tallied eight kills to lead the Knights, while sophomore Magdalena Maksimovic added seven. Freshman setter Corina Beimers handed out a team-high 14 assists in the loss.
 
For the Hawks, Jenna Bridges led all players with 13 kills, while sophomore setter Megan Anderson totaled 31 assists in the win.
 
The Hawks (6-3) opened up a 4-0, first-set lead and eventually stretched it to 12-4 with Anderson recording a pair of aces along the way. The Knights' deficit would grow to double-digits, 20-8, before they scored three straight points including a kill from Maksimovic.
 
In the second frame, with the help of a kill from junior outside Erika Sullivan, the Knights pulled out of a four-point hole to within one, 11-10. The Hawks immediately responded by scoring 15 of the next 17 points, including the final seven tallies, as they captured a 2-0 match lead.
 
The final set saw the Hawks again stretch an 11-10 edge with a set-changing run. A pair of aces from Abby Nash and three kills by Paulina Modestow aided the surge as the Hawks established a 19-12 cushion. Modestaw totaled 10 kills for Hartford in the win.
 
The Knights fought to within five points but would not get any closer as the Hawks finalized the sweep.
 
Next up for the Knights is a pair of matches on Saturday against Delaware State at 12 p.m. and the host Leopards at 3:00 p.m.