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 (26-10, 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. After downing the West Division's top seed, SUNY Fredonia, in the semifinals, the Hawks face the daunting task of knocking off No. 18 SUNY Cortland (38-1, 8-0 SUNYAC East) in the championship final for the right to earn the league's automatic bid into the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament.

TICKET PRICING: Tickets for Saturday's final 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 437 kills (3.44 per set) and 505 points. Junior middle hitter Dana Vosilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y. /Massapequa) sits behind her with 280 kills (2.24 per set) and 333.5 points, while junior middle hitter Laura Stanhewicz (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) leads the Blue and Orange with 77 blocks on the season. Vosilla's hitting percentage of .335 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 905 (8.54 per set), while sophomore libero Carrie Hack (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) stands out on defense with 563 digs (4.69 per set). Hack leads the way with 39 service aces as well.

NO STRANGERS: Cortland and New Paltz have been bitter divisional rivals the past few years. With the East Division's tradition of producing the champion, both New Paltz and Cortland have consistently challenged each other for the division's No. 1 seed into the tournament and, ultimately, for the conference title. This is the third straight year in which these two programs have met in the finals, with New Paltz winning the title in 2009 and Cortland winning the championship in 2010. The Hawks took the Red Dragons to five sets in the first round of East Division Pool Play in September, but Cortland overwhelmed New Paltz in the second round of East Division Pool Play in October, sweeping past the Hawks in straight sets.

FOUR YEARS OF GLORY: The Hawks have now reached the title match at each of the past four 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. 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 (267, 2.52 per set), freshman libero Katy Herbst (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) [232, 2.41 per set] and senior setter Kelsey Garmendia (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) [242, 2.30 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 443 (3.49 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 259-127 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 RED DRAGONS: Cortland's veteran-laden roster has eased its way through the regular season in the postseason, amassing a sparkling overall mark of 38-1. The Red Dragons' lone loss of the year came against No. 20 UMass-Boston on Oct. 1. They are currently riding an 18-match win streak and appear to be in strong contention for an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament should they lose to New Paltz in the final. Cortland poses a serious threat offensively, as it hits at a .257 clip, which ranks 23rd in NCAA Division III. Kristen Guercio leads the conference and is 10th in the nation in assists per set (10.78), and Sheena Asibey's .336 hitting percentage also leads the league. Jaclyn Lawrence paces the Red Dragons defensively, averaging 4.32 digs per set (510 total). Head coach Pam Hoerup is wrapping up her seventh season at the helm of the Cortland women's volleyball program, and she boasts a career record of 221-64. During her tenure at the controls, Cortland has won four conference titles.