Tournament Website
BUFFALO – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team (31-7, 6-2 SUNYAC East) seeks to earn its second State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title in program history at this weekend's 2012 SUNYAC Volleyball Championship Tournament at Buffalo State, as the Hawks earned the East Division's No. 2 seed. New Paltz opens up with the West Division's No. 3 seed, SUNY Oswego (12-18, 2-4 SUNYAC West), on Friday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. in the quarterfinal round.
TICKET PRICING: Tickets for Friday's quarterfinal match are $6 for adults and free for students with valid college identification.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: New Paltz has received various contributions this year and has numerous student-athletes ranked among the top in the SUNYAC. Senior outside hitter
Michelle Jacobson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) accounts for most of the team's offense, leading the squad and ranking third in the league in kills per set (3.15, 428 total). Senior middle hitter
Dana Vosilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa), who ranks fifth in the SUNYAC in hitting percentage (.296), fortifies the middle offensively, as she, too, has the ability to score with 2.41 kills per set. Freshman outside hitter
Becca Borquist (Rhinebeck, N.Y./Rhinebeck) has been a staple for the Hawks from the get-go, as she ranks sixth in the league in kills per set with 2.74 (356 total). In addition, Borquist is third on the team in digs per set with 3.43 (446 total). Junior setter
Marissa King (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy) has kept the offense running all season, ranking second in the SUNYAC in assists per set with 10.46 (1,433 total). On the back row, junior libero
Carrie Hack (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) leads the way with 5.18 digs per set (694 total), which ranks second in the league.
WE MEET AGAIN: Oswego and New Paltz met for the first time since 2002 earlier this season, as the Lakers contested New Paltz at its annual Hawks Invitational on Sept. 15. The Hawks cruised to a straight-set win, topping Oswego, 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-22). The Lakers hold the all-time series lead, however, at 4-2. Oswego is 1-0 all-time against New Paltz in the SUNYAC Tournament, as the Lakers bounced the Hawks out of the conference quarterfinals in 1994.
FINAL NUMBER FOUR: New Paltz has made the SUNYAC final for four consecutive years. The Hawks lost in the championships match in 2008 (to SUNY Fredonia), 2010 (to SUNY Cortland) and 2011 (to Cortland), but in 2009, New Paltz won the conference title.
26 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: Since 2004, New Paltz has not won fewer than 26 matches. In addition, during that time, the Hawks have topped 30 wins on three occasions. They earned 32 wins in 2008, 33 wins in 2009 and have 31 wins so far this season.
EYEING THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: New Paltz has been absent from the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament the past two years, but before that draught started, the Hawks made the national tournament for two consecutive seasons. In 2008, New Paltz earned an at-large (Pool “C”) bid into the tournament and advanced to the national quarterfinals. In 2009, the Hawks earned the SUNYAC's automatic bid into the tournament and lost in the regional semifinals to Salisbury University. All-time, New Paltz is 4-2 at the NCAA Championships.
BREAKING RECORDS: Two New Paltz players have achieved program records so far this season. Hack is now the program's career digs leader with 1,851, while King owns the single-season assists record with 1,433 assists. Hack is 104 digs away from tying Belgica Santana's 1997 single-season record of 798 digs.
ABOUT HEAD COACH MATT GIUFRE:
Matt Giufre, who is finishing up his 11th 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 290-135 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 LAKERS: Oswego enters the tournament with the West Division's No. 3 seed. The Lakers are making their first SUNYAC Tournament appearance since 1996 this year, and they are 5-8 in SUNYAC postseason play. Oswego is in search of its first SUNYAC title. J.J. O'Connell is in the midst of finishing his first year at the helm of the Oswego women's volleyball program, but he brings with him a distinguished résumé that he accumulated during his 10-year tenure at the controls of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball program. O'Connell is 284-110 overall as an NCAA Division III women's volleyball head coach. Statistically, the Lakers are led on offense by Stephanie Bailey, who averages a team-best 2.08 kills per set (164 total). Chelsea Crump is a high-percentage hitter with a team-high .231 hitting percentage, and she also averages 2.07 kills per set (153 total). Kara Michelsen is Oswego's primary setter, as she averages 5.98 assists per set (377 total), while the Laker defense is paced by Kelsey Ihle's 3.37 digs per set (290 total).
