Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team got the signature win its résumé needed on Wednesday evening at the Hawk Center, defeating No. 23 Williams College, 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-7), in a non-conference match.

The momentum of the match changed hands a number of times, as evidenced by the total of 22 tie scores and 14 lead changes throughout the contest. While Williams had the upper hand in hitting percentage (.188-to-.164) and total blocks (11.5-to-5), New Paltz bested the Ephs off the serve, landing 12 service aces and benefiting from Williams' 12 service errors.

New Paltz's overall record advances to 17-5, and it hosts a second-round pod of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Pool Play from Friday-Saturday, Oct. 11-12. The Hawks kick off the weekend against The College at Brockport on Friday at 5 p.m. Williams drops to 15-2 overall and looks to get back on track Friday against Hamilton College.

The first set appeared headed toward Williams' favor, as a Hawk attacking error gave the Ephs a 20-18 lead. New Paltz, however, rattled off six straight points, and a kill by junior outside hitter Alex Bizub (Linden, N.J./Cranford) gave the Hawks a 24-20 advantage. A service error finally gave Williams the serve back, but sophomore outside hitter Becca Borquist (Rhinebeck, N.Y./Rhinebeck) landed a kill on the ensuing rally to end the set.

New Paltz struggled to sustain offense late in the second, with Williams scoring four straight points to grab a 21-17 edge. The Hawks battled back with two straight points, but the Ephs closed the stanza on a 4-0 run, and a New Paltz ball-handling error tied the match at one set apiece.

The Hawks stormed out to a 13-7 lead in the third, but Williams inched closer as the set wore on, eventually drawing within two at 23-21. An Eph service error brought up set point, but back-to-back kills from Katherine Lane and Claire Miller forced a New Paltz timeout. Borquist ended up slamming down an over pass on the next rally, giving the Hawks a 2-1 cushion in sets.

The beginning of the fourth set was all Williams, and New Paltz took an early timeout after the Ephs seized a 10-4 lead. The Hawks continued to chip away at the advantage, and a block assist by Borquist and freshman middle hitter Morgan Roessler (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) capped a four-point tear that pulled New Paltz within one at 17-16. Following a Williams kill, the Hawks scored three straight points and grabbed the lead at 19-18. New Paltz gained some separation with three consecutive points that helped construct a 23-21 lead in its favor, and the Ephs called timeout. Williams tied the game up at 23-all before senior middle hitter Liz Hauser (East Williston, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) brought up match point with a kill. The Ephs, however, scored three unanswered points off kills to close the frame, forcing a fifth set.

Williams led early in the fifth at 4-2, but five straight New Paltz points gave the Hawks a 7-4 cushion and forced the Ephs to call a timeout. Williams got one more point before the turn, and Hauser floored a termination to put the Hawks on top, 8-5, when the teams switched sides. The two squads traded kills until Roessler opened up a 6-0 run for New Paltz to close the match. Borquist put the final punctuation on the match with a kill off a set by senior setter Marissa King (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy).

Four New Paltz hitters achieved double-digit kill figures: Bizub (13), Roessler (12), Hauser (12) and Borquist (12). Borquist completed the double-double with 21 digs, while King also reached double figures in two statistical categories: assists (46) and digs (14). Senior libero Carrie Hack (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) notched her first start as a non-libero and lasted two sets before taking over the position. She finished with a match-high 27 digs.

For Williams, Tori Jasuta ignited the Ephs' offense and defense with 24 kills and 25 digs. Furthermore, she hit at a .268 clip and added three block assists. Ryan Farley also had a double-double with 40 assists and 11 digs, and she chipped in with five block assists as well.