Tournament Website
Tournament Preview (courtesy of SUNYAC Office)

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Looking to capture the conference crown for the second time in program history, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team (24-10, 6-2 SUNYAC East) has qualified as the No. 2 seed in the East Division of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament. The Hawks will begin tournament play against West No. 3 SUNY Geneseo (17-18, 5-3 SUNYAC West) on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. in Cortland, N.Y., to determine who will play the West Division's top seed, SUNY Fredonia, in the semifinals.

TICKET PRICING: Tickets for Thursday's quarterfinal match are $5 for adults and $2 for students with valid college identification.

STATISTICAL LEADERS: Senior outside hitter Melinda DiGiovanna (West Hempstead, N.Y./West Hempstead) paces the Hawks with 406 kills (3.41 per set) and 469.5 points. Junior middle hitter Dana Vosilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y. /Massapequa) sits behind her with 261 kills (2.23 per set) and 312.5 points, but leads the Blue and Orange with 72 blocks on the season. Her hitting percentage of .333 leads the team and is second in the SUNYAC. Sophomore setter Marissa King (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy) is atop the leaderboard in assists with 815 (8.32 per set), while sophomore libero Carrie Hack (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) stands out on defense with 521 digs (4.65 per set). Hack leads the way with 37 service aces as well.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE:  New Paltz and SUNY Geneseo have not played a match against each other since the 2007 SUNYAC Tournament quarterfinals.  On Nov. 1, 2007, the Hawks dropped the Blue Knights in straight sets, 3-0 (30-26, 30-28, 30-27), to advance to the tournament semifinals. In postseason tournament history, Geneseo holds the all-time series lead over the Hawks at 4-1.

THREE YEARS OF GLORY: The Hawks have reached the title match at each of the past three SUNYAC Volleyball Championship Tournaments. New Paltz lost in straight sets to Fredonia in 2008 and fell to Cortland in four sets last season, but in 2009, the Hawks hoisted their first-ever conference crown, as they topped Cortland in straight sets.

26 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: Since 2004, New Paltz has not won fewer than 26 matches, meaning that the Hawks will have to advance to the championship final this year to match that feat this season. In the seven years prior to this season, New Paltz has topped 30 wins on two occasions (32 in 2008, 33 in 2009), and in 2008, the Hawks earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Championships.

HITTING MILESTONES: Both DiGiovanna and Hack achieved milestones so far this season. DiGiovanna became just the seventh player in program history to surpass 1,000 career kills, while Hack, a sophomore, cruised past the 1,000-dig plateau.

DEFENSIVE-MINDED: The Hawks feature a starting lineup that has players who can show flashes of brilliance defensively. Hack leads the team in digs, but King (247, 2.52 per set), freshman libero Katy Herbst (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) [219, 2.38 per set] and senior setter Kelsey Garmendia (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) [233, 2.31 per set] each average more than two digs per set. DiGiovanna, who also doubles as reinforcement on the front row defensively, ranks second on the team in digs with 413 (3.47 per set). As a team, New Paltz leads the SUNYAC in digs per set (17.88).

ABOUT HEAD COACH MATT GIUFRE: Matt Giufre, who is finishing up his 10th season at the helm of the New Paltz women's volleyball program, has been the architect of the Hawks' recent success. He took a program that went 9-23 the season prior to his arrival and built a winning tradition during his third year at the controls. Since 2004, Giufre's teams have had winning records. He is 257-127 during his career, and he has been named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year on three occasions (2004, 2006, 2009). Giufre has also mentored players who have constantly been tops in the East Division, as the divisional Player of the Year has come out of New Paltz in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

SCOUTING THE BLUE KNIGHTS: Geneseo enters the tournament with the West Division's No. 3 seed. The Blue Knights are in search of their first conference title in program history, as they have reached the title match in 1998, 2004 and 2006, but have had nothing to show for it. Geneseo is 9-17 all-time in the SUNYAC Championship Tournament, and this marks the Blue Knights' 17th straight tournament appearance. Head coach Jen Salmon, a 2002 Ithaca College graduate, is 64-81 during her career and is in her fourth year at the helm. Kat Strickland keys the offense with 343 kills on the year (2.88 per set), and Noelle Morrison has dished out 904 assists this season (8.45 per set). Strickland has also been strong off the serve (42 service aces, 0.35 per set) and has fortified the front row defensively with 60 total blocks. Laura Galvin paces the defense on the back row, as she has a team-leading 548 digs on the season (4.35 per set).