HARRISBURG, Pa. – Kyla Kolivoski and Kendall Wales were obvious choices when postseason accolades were doled out to members of the Harrisburg Area Community College volleyball team. During a season where the Hawks fell one match short of qualifying for the NJCAA Division III Volleyball National Championship Tournament, those two athletes never came off the floor.

Kolivoski, who was selected to the Region XIX first-team Nov. 8 and also earned Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference first-honors, finished with 23 kills and 151 digs. Wales was chosen on the first team for all EPAC, recording 126 kills and 173 digs on the season.

“While many players work hard, Kyla and Kendall provide a consistent result at a high level,” HACC volleyball coach Tom Frye said. “They are also the only players who didn’t come off the court all season.”

Having consistency in the lineup helped the Hawks, who finished 10-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play. HACC suffered through a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, losing all nine sets it played in the Lycoming Tournament.

But the tournament served as an important lesson for the Hawks. If they were going to be successful in the postseason, they would have to adjust their tempo.

“We talk to the players about speeding up the game to make the other team uncomfortable,” Frye said. “Putting us in that tournament against teams that play fast was meant not only to show them a faster pace, but to give them that experience moving forward. We were very pleased with the way the girls handled the pace and it made them want to make other teams feel pressure.”

The Hawks rebounded from the losing streak well. HACC’s first match following the skid was a 3-2 victory over Delaware Technical Community College. The Hawks would ride the momentum to extend the winning streak to four games.

HACC’s fourth win in that streak was a 3-0 win over Middlesex County College in the Region XIX quarterfinals on Oct 25. The Hawks would see their season come to an end in a 3-0 sweep by Rowan College South Jersey Gloucester.

Frye was pleased with how the season went for HACC, which was ranked No. 7 nationally to start the year.

“This was a very stressful season for everyone,” Frye said. “COVID-19 has kept everyone on their toes. All in all, I am happy with the season. Even with some adversity, this group came up one match short of going to the national competition.”

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