BURNABY, B.C. – On a Saturday evening where the SFU Red Leafs honoured their graduating class of seniors, playing their final game at Burnaby Mountain's West Gym, they did what they have done consistently for the last four years: leave everything on the court.

That showed in the results, as SFU earned a dominant 3-1 win over the visiting Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks in its regular season finale. After dropping a tight first frame 26-24, the Red Leafs came screaming back to sweep the next three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-16, and 25-16.

Fittingly, it was senior middle Kalyn Hartmann (Langley, B.C.) at the center of the SFU attack, as she posted a team- and season-high 14 kills on just 29 attempts (.448 efficiency rate). Hartmann had a team-best five block assists, adding three digs and an ace in a brilliant performance. Fellow senior Hanna Kolof (Vancouver) was also highly involved, racking up eight kills, eight digs, and an ace. She had a pair of solo blocks and one block assist.
 

"It has probably been my best experience," said Hartmann of her time at SFU. "The last six years have been so memorable and life-changing. My teammates are the most supportive people. I came in so fresh and green and I just can't thank the coaching staff enough for the amount of time they put into our team. I've grown so much as a player. It's been a great six years."

Libero Kalissa Beltran of Surrey, B.C. (three digs, an ace), middle Kohl Peters of Surrey, B.C. (four kills, two block assists, two digs), and outside hitter Camryn Vosloh (Blaine, Washington) rounded out SFU's quintet of honourees.
 
"I think the biggest reflection is when you're really young, you get told 'It goes by really quickly, and you should enjoy it,' and you think, 'Oh, I have time,' and we had six years, which is the unusual part but those six years were filled with passion for the game, love for the team and excitement and fun," said Beltran. "This sport gives everybody so much, the competitiveness, and the relationships and friendships that come out of it."
 

The first set of Saturday's contest was a nail-biter. At one point midway through the frame, SFU held a seemingly solid 19-15 advantage. However, the Nighthawks continued to battle, reeling off a 5-0 run to take a 20-19 lead of their own.

SFU appeared to have control of the opening set after a Sophie Lachapelle (Kelowna, B.C.) kill put the Red Leafs at set point, up 24-23. Then, the Nighthawks keyed off maybe their most impressive offensive burst of the match, with Haley Cheney, Maren Dent, and Londyn Giles delivering back-to-back-to-back kills as the Nighthawks claimed the opening stanza.

The Red Leafs seemed determined not to suffer the same fate twice, getting kills from Hartmann, Kolof, and Brooke Dexter (Anchorage, Alaska) as they raced out to a 7-2 lead early in the second set. However, the Nighthawks again clawed their way back, eventually earning a 16-14 lead.

SFU proceeded to go on a 9-3 run, with kills from Hartmann, Kolof and setter Eva Person (Brentwood Bay, B.C.) and a couple key blocks getting the Red Leafs out in front. After the two sides traded shots late, Lachapelle ended the set and brought SFU back even on a terrific kill.

SFU carried all of that momentum through the final two sets, and never even allowed the Nighthawks back in either frame. In the third, SFU built up a 14-6 lead after flying out of the break, but their impressive defending made sure that the Nighthawks never managed to get within seven points the rest of the way. Up 24-16, Peters got her Senior Day moment as she closed out the set on a bullet of a kill.
 

The final set seemed to be going the way of the first, with the two sides going blow-for-blow as SFU held just a 14-13 lead midway through. However, the Red Leafs then blew the game wide open, as Jocelyn Sherman (Victoria, B.C.) notched three kills and a block as part of an electric 8-2 run.

Up 23-15 by then, SFU got the ball back on a service error before Dexter got a kill to end the match. Dexter ended the contest with 13 kills, a pair of aces and 16 digs.
 
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