Box Score

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The 15th-ranked State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (5-1, 1-0 UVC) handed Bard College (5-1, 0-1 UVC) its first loss of the 2012 season, as the Hawks won by a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-15) final in the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) opener for both teams on Wednesday night at Stevenson Gymnasium.

With the triumph, sixth-year head coach Radu Petrus earned his 99th career victory and will have the opportunity to win his 100th career match in the team's home opener on Saturday.

New Paltz outperformed Bard in all phases of the match, as the Hawks hit at a .338 clip compared to the Raptors' -.121 hitting percentage and posted 20 digs to Bard's 13. Furthermore, the Hawks slammed down 4.5 total team blocks, while the Raptors had three. Bard was hindered by miscues at the net, as the squad was charged with 17 blocking errors.

The match was never really in question, as the Hawks held the upper hand throughout the course of the tilt. Bard once pulled itself within four in the late stages of the first set (21-17), but that would be the closest the Raptors would come in the back half of any of the three sets contested.

The Hawk offense was ignited by senior opposite Mike Van Tyne (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) and senior middle blocker Kevin Stross (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber), who tied for the match-high in kills with eight each. Sophomore setter Misa Garo (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) handed out a match-high 25 assists, and Van Tyne was effective off the serve, landing three service aces. Van Tyne led New Paltz in digs with a match-high seven, while Stross registered a match-high four block assists.

For Bard, Nick Chan led the way with five kills, and Henry Kasiske posted the team-highs in assists (11) and service aces (3). Andrew Cortrite came up with a team-high five digs, and Cortrite and Nick Chan tied for the team lead in block assists with two apiece.

New Paltz hosts a tri-match on Saturday, Feb. 4, in its home opener, contesting The Sage Colleges at noon before squaring off with Philadelphia Biblical University at 4 p.m.