Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – In a battle of two nationally-ranked squads, the No. 14 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (10-2, 4-1 UVC) edged out the eighth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology (6-1, 4-1 UVC), 3-2 (25-21, 27-25, 19-25, 22-25, 15-8), in a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) match on Wednesday evening at the Hawk Center. It marked Stevens' first defeat of the 2012 season.

New Paltz got out to a 2-0 lead, but Stevens won the third and fourth sets to force a deciding fifth game. The Hawks ended up taking the fifth set with ease, and they earned a signature league win in the process.

In the first set, the Hawks were unable to gain much separation from the Ducks, but back-to-back kills from senior opposite Mike Van Tyne (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) and sophomore middle blocker Dylan Rabidoux (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) opened up a 17-14 lead. Stevens tied the score at 18-all, but New Paltz scored two unanswered points to push the advantage to two at 20-18. A Duck service error gave the Hawks set point at 24-20, and Stevens staved off New Paltz on the next point, as the Hawks were charged with a blocking error. Following a Hawk timeout, senior middle blocker Kevin Stross (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) floored a set from sophomore setter Misa Garo (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) to give New Paltz the 25-21 set win.

The second stanza featured more back-and-forth play, and Stevens gained its first advantage since the early stages of the set when Ian Tyger registered a kill to give the Ducks a 18-17 lead. Stevens appeared in control of the set, and the Ducks forced match point when David Evans gave the visitors a 24-22 cushion. The Hawks played inspired volleyball out of a timeout, as a Stross kill and an Evans attack error leveled the tally at 24-all. Evans put Stevens back up, 25-24, but his attack error on the ensuing point squandered another Duck match-point opportunity. Two Stevens attack errors ended up giving New Paltz a 27-25 victory in the second game.

New Paltz scored the first three points of the third set, and it looked as though it would boast a sweep over a nationally-ranked opponent. Stevens answered right back, though, scoring three unanswered to knot the score. Neither side was able to sustain momentum until the Ducks started scoring points in bunches midway through the set. While Rabidoux gave New Paltz life with a kill to pull the Hawks within five at 24-19, Thomas Hannum answered back with a kill of his own to avoid the straight-set sweep.

After trading points for half of the fourth set, the Ducks gained separation by scoring four straight points, and a block assist by James Mataras and Evans extended the cushion to four (21-17). After a Tyger kill put the Hawks on the ropes, sophomore setter/outside hitter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) scored a pair of points off back-to-back kills and Rabidoux added another kill to draw New Paltz within two at 24-22. Hannum, though, forced a deciding set with a kill on the ensuing point.

Three kills to open the fifth set gave New Paltz life, and a Duck attack error gave the Hawks an 8-4 lead heading into the turn. Stevens came within three after a Garo ball-handling error, but a Duck attack error and a Rabidoux kill gave New Paltz a 12-7 edge, forcing Stevens to take a timeout. After a Hawk service error, New Paltz registered three consecutive points to close out the match with a 15-8 triumph in the fifth stanza.

New Paltz's hitters kept it in the game, as they authored a .344 attack percentage for the match, including a .500 mark in the fifth set. Front-row defense also played a major factor in the win, as the Hawks boasted 10 total team blocks to the Ducks' five. Stevens, however, played solid defense and had 42 digs compared to New Paltz's 34. The Hawks struggled off the serve with 19 service errors, but they made up for it with a .967 reception percentage.

Van Tyne led the New Paltz attack with 18 kills in 36 total attempts, while Stross compiled a strong .407 hitting percentage behind 14 kills and three errors in 27 total attempts. Smith made the most of his swings, fashioning a .524 hitting percentage off 12 kills and one error in 21 total attempts. Garo kept the offense moving with 53 assists, and senior libero Michael Dauernheim (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) keyed the back row's efforts with eight digs. Stross finished with five total blocks (one solo, four assist), while Van Tyne posted three block assists.

For Stevens, Tyger floored 18 kills, while Hannum and Evans collected 15 and 14, respectively. Kevin Aeckerle dished out a team-high 44 assists, while Evans and Aeckerle were the only two players in the match to register double-digit dig totals with 11 and 10, respectively. Mataras powered the front row on defense with four block assists.

New Paltz has a week off from competition before resuming league play with a 7 p.m. match against SUNYIT on Wednesday, Feb. 22, in Utica, N.Y.