BUFFALO. N.Y. – With a lot of help from the fans in the stands, the Hilbert College women's volleyball team made a strong run at D'Youville College tonight in Buffalo Cup action.

The Hawks (0-13, 0-3 AMCC) lost their late-match momentum and fell in defeat, 3-1 to the Spartans (3-10, 1-0 AMCC).

Senior Middle Hitter Ashley Repine collected two solo blocks but it was her two block assists which elevated her into a two-way tie as the program's All-Time leader in BA.

"We are getting there yet we need everyone to be mentally ready and focused on every play," said coach Bret Stothart.  "I think we showed a lot of heart coming back to win the third set; we need to build on the momentum and bring it to the upcoming road games this weekend."  He continued, "I can say that the team appreciated the fan support tonight as they helped lift us to a higher level of play."  

D'Youville earned 43 kills, though the Hawks were credited with six blocks.  Hilbert finished the match with 22 kills and 10 service aces.

The Spartans won the first set 25-16 and held on for a 25-18 repeat win in the second.  Hilbert, who fought back late in the second set, continued to build momentum in the third and won, 25-21.  The Hawks lost their mental edge in the fourth and fell in a set/match loss (25-15).

Casandra Thompson led at the net with seven kills and earned game-high honors in digs (15). 

Ashley Repine added five kills to her four service aces and seven digs while Ashley Page hustled to almost every second ball to close with 10 assists. 

Every Hilbert player posted at least one kill except the Hawks defensive specialist, Kayla Kuzara, who added eight digs on defense.

Hilbert hits the road this weekend with back-to-back non-conference contests against two NEAC teams.  The Hawks will take a second go at Cazenovia October 4 and then battle SUNY Poly October 5.

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all your Hilbert Hawk scores and awards by following @HilbertAthletic on Twitter and by liking the "Hilbert College Athletics" Facebook page.  Additionally, fans of the Hawks who have an Apple device can receive push notification from the Hilbert College Hawks iOS SIDEARM mobile App which can be found in the Apple Store and ITunes.