(Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber), who was on the All-UVC Second Team, and senior opposite

(Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) and sophomores Brian O'Connor (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) and Victor Tuminelli (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) all are able to score points from the outside. Freshman outside hitter Ben Hirschler (Bellmore, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) and sophomore outside hitter Cameron Brown (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) are newcomers to the team and expect to vie for action on the court.

Sophomore setter/outside hitter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) operated as an efficient offensive weapon during his 54 sets played in 2011. He racked up 141 kills, which worked out to 2.61 kills per set, and hit at a .326 clip, second-best on the team among those who took more than 100 swings. Smith anticipates on maintaining that production during the 2012 campaign, as he will see more time on the floor.

The Hawks have two additional defensive players who have the ability to make an impact. Sophomore libero Kevin Ha (Bayside, N.Y./Benjamin N. Cardozo) and senior defensive specialist Ramius Pruiss (Wallkill, N.Y./Wallkill) each continue to develop their games during practice, which could translate to increased playing time.

New Paltz will be challenged out of the gates, as it faces strong opposition at the Elmira Invitational from Jan. 21-22 after squaring off with Hunter College in its season opener on Jan. 17. While at the Elmira Invitational, the Hawks meet up with perennial power Juniata College and host Elmira College, which is an up-and-coming UVC team. New Paltz begins UVC play on Feb. 1 with a match against Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., and on Feb. 4, the Hawks entertain The Sage Colleges and Philadelphia Biblical University in their home opener. The next month features a steady diet of UVC matches, which includes crossovers at Stevens and Nazareth.

After Feb. 29's match against New York University, New Paltz will be on the road until its home finale on April 5 against New Jersey City University. During that period away from the Hawk Center, the Hawks compete at the Endicott Tournament from March 24-25 and the Vassar Tournament from March 30-31 in addition to conference matches and a March 14 non-conference clash at Baruch College. An April 11 match against Ramapo College serves as the final tune-up before the 2012 UVC Tournament, which runs from April 14-15.

While New Paltz's schedule appears daunting, Petrus says that it is necessary for preparation and qualification for the NCAA Tournament. There will be six automatic bids—one from each of the six conferences—and three at-large bids.

"The goal is to end up in the first half of the AVCA Top-15 poll," Petrus said. "While the poll doesn't factor into NCAA selection, if we can compete with teams such as Springfield and Juniata and get ranked higher as a result, it will only help us in the end. These matches against elite teams are important for us."