The Hamilton College Continentals dropped a pair of matches at Kean University's Harwood Arena as part of the 2019 New Jersey Challenge on Friday night.

Hamilton (8-9 overall) took the hosts to the limit before the Continentals fell in five sets. The University of Northwestern (Minn.) swept Hamilton in three sets. The New Jersey Challenge continues on Saturday, Oct. 19 when the Continentals take on Catholic University at 1 p.m. and Stevens Institute of Technology at 3 p.m. at Stevens in Hoboken, N.J.

Kean 3 sets, Hamilton 2

Kean (19-7) took the first set 25-15 and the Continentals edged the Cougars the next two sets, 25-22 and 25-23. Hamilton recorded 31 of its 48 kills in the second and third sets. Kean rallied and won the match by claiming the last two sets, 25-7 and 15-10. 

Deirdre Corrigan '23 paced Hamilton with 14 kills and Giuliana Rankin '20 smashed 13. Emma Parkhurst '21 handed out 39 assists and Kendall Boxe '22 and Dorothy Poucher '21 were credited with three blocks apiece. Nikki Matsuoka '21 topped the Continentals defense with 24 digs and Kendall Searcy '20 added 16. Kayla Self '21 contributed 16 digs and three service aces.

Zoe Strozewski led the Cougars with 18 kills and added five blocks. Kean finished with 13 blocks as a team. Brianna Calvano boasted 42 assists, three aces and five blocks. The defense was led by Jesse Larkin and her eight blocks, and Kortnee Nelson and Michelle Froehlich registered 18 and 17 digs, respectively. Sedona Gaard ended up with nine kills, 10 digs and three aces.

In the fifth set Kean led 6-5 and then Hamilton scored the next three points on kills by Corrigan and Parkhurst and an ace by Searcy. A kill by Boxe gave the Continentals a 10-8 advantage but it turned out to be their last point. The Cougars ran off the next seven points, including four Hamilton attack errors, and closed out the match on block assists by Larkin and Cailyn Ross.

Northwestern 3 sets, Hamilton 0

The Eagles (15-7) prevailed by set scores of 25-12, 27-25 and 25-13. Northwestern held an 11-2 advantage in service aces.

Rankin topped the Continentals with nine kills and three blocks. Parkhurst passed out 18 assists and came up with nine digs. Matsuoka recorded a team-high 14 digs including the 900th of her Hamilton career. She is third in the NESCAC with 5.16 digs per set.

Kalley Schwitters and Anna Gasch smacked nine kills apiece for the Eagles. Schwitters added 11 digs and four aces. Sydney Schwitters dished out 30 assists and had 11 digs. Marylyn Schroyer led Northwestern with 15 digs and Kendra Hardy and Soleil Newland came away with three blocks apiece.