Box Score

NEW YORK – Senior opposite Mike Van Tyne (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) contributed 14 kills, seven digs, three block assists and two service aces for the 13th-ranked State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (1-0), as the Hawks topped host Hunter College (0-1), 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19), in the 2012 season opener for both teams on Tuesday evening at the Hunter Sportsplex.

Van Tyne hit at a .500 clip, as he had 14 kills and two attack errors in 24 total attempts. Senior middle blocker Kevin Stross (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) joined Van Tyne in double-digit kill figures with 10 on the evening, while sophomore setter Misa Garo (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) handed out 33 assists. New Paltz, which outdug Hunter by a 33-29 margin, was paced by senior libero Michael Dauernheim (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) defensively, who collected a match-high nine digs.

For Hunter, Chris Newcomb tied Van Tyne for the match-high in kills with 14, while Stanley Martinez distributed 26 assists. Martinez also led the Hawk defense with six digs and three total blocks.

Hunter led throughout the first portion of the first set, as New Paltz did not hold a lead until Stross floored a kill as a part of a 3-0 run, which put the visitors ahead, 13-10, after that tear. New Paltz wound up distancing itself as the set wore on, and a Van Tyne kill capped a 4-0 Hawk run to close the stanza.

Set two unfolded in a similar fashion, and back-to-back-to-back New Paltz attack errors put Hunter up, 11-8. After head coach Radu Petrus called a timeout, the visitors relied on a kill by Stross and consecutive Hunter attack errors to knot the tally at 11-all. John Gemeguh put the home team up by one with a kill, but an Eric Barty attack error gave New Paltz a share of the advantage once again. Barty then registered a kill off a New Paltz blocking error to give Hunter what ended up being its final lead of the set, as Van Tyne and sophomore middle blocker Dylan Rabidoux (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) put the visiting Hawks on top, 14-13, and a Jerin Kallickal attack error forced Hunter to take a timeout. Hunter came within one point five more times during the second frame, but New Paltz did not relinquish the lead.

The visiting Hawks dictated the momentum during the third set, as Hunter never led. After the host Hawks drew within four at 23-19 with a Jonathan Park service ace, New Paltz used a Park service error and a Kallickal attack error to ice the match. The visiting Hawks hit at an efficient rate during the third stanza, landing 14 kills and just one error in 22 total attempts for a .591 hitting percentage.

For the match, New Paltz posted a .278 hitting percentage compared to Hunter's .086 clip. The host Hawks, however, registered seven total blocks to their counterpart's five.

New Paltz faces a tough test this upcoming weekend, as it travels to Elmira College for the Elmira Invitational. The Hawks play Thiel College and No. 5 Juniata College at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, Jan. 21, before squaring off with host Elmira and The City College of New York at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., respectively, on Sunday, Jan. 22.