COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: TIOGA COUNY TRIO LEADS HARTWICK COLLEGE INTO EMPIRE 8 CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH (November 20, 2025)


HAWKS ADVANCE TO ECAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tioga County Sports Report
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The Tioga County trio — Candor grads Braelyn Hornick and Shelby Swartz, both seniors, and Owego grad Sophia Palladino, a junior — led Hartwick College to a title match meeting with top-seeded and nationally-ranked St. John Fisher here Saturday at Empire 8 Championships.

The second-seeded Hawks knocked off Utica University and SUNY Brockport on its way to the finals — its first appearance there since 2022.

Quarterfinals
2-Hartwick 3, 7-Utica 0
Hartwick swept past the Pioneers by scores of 25-12, 25-15, and 25-15.

Swartz led the Hawks with 20.5 service points, 18 kills, three blocks, one assist, and eight digs, while Hornick had 2.5 points, 41 setter assists, one kill, three blocks, and eight digs, and Palladino added eight points, including one ace, seven kills, one assist, and eight digs.

Semifinals
2-Hartwick 3, 3-Brockport 2
Hartwick fell into a 2-0 hole against third-seeded Brockport, dropping the first two games 25-22 and 25-18, but bounced back with three straight wins of 25-21, 25-19 and 15-6 for the five-set win and a trip to the finals.

Swartz had a triple-double for the Hawks with 22 service points, including three aces, 16 kills, and 12 digs to go along with five blocks and two assists, while Hornick had 8.5 points, 45 assists, seven kills, three blocks, and 11 digs, and Palladino added nine points, eight kills, eight digs, one block and two assists.

Championship
1-St. John Fisher 3, 2-Hartwick 0
The Cardinals, ranked 24th in the nation, swept Hartwick by identical scores of 25-18.

Palladino led Hartwick with six points (one ace), five kills, one assist, and two digs, while Hornick had 0.5 points, 19 assists, one block, and seven digs, and Swartz added three points (one ace), two kills, and four digs.

Hartwick, now 21-11, returns to action Sunday as the top seed in the ECAC Championships. It will face fourth-seeded Keene State in the semifinals.

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IN PHOTO: From left: Braelyn Hornick, Shelby Swartz and Sophia Palladino.

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