Tournament Website

NEW YORK – On Saturday, April 14, the State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team will be under the brightest of lights in the largest city in the United States, as it takes on the second-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology as the No. 7 seed in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament on the campus of New York University in Manhattan. First serve is set for 3:15 p.m.

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The UVC, in just its second year of existence, will bring its tournament to the Big Apple this season, as eight of the league's 12 teams will vie for the conference title. New Paltz (19-10, 6-5 UVC) and Stevens (25-7, 9-2) will meet in the UVC quarterfinal round for the first time, and the two will square off at 3:15 p.m. on Court 4. The winner of the Stevens-New Paltz quarterfinal match will play the winner of the quarterfinal contest between third-seeded Medaille College and sixth-seeded Elmira College at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday on Court 4. The winners of the two semifinal matches will compete for the conference crown on Sunday, April 15, at 4 p.m. Whoever wins the UVC Tournament earns the league's automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament.

TICKET PRICING: Ticket prices are $4 per session for adults and $2 per session for students and senior citizens with valid ID. There is no charge for children under 12 years old.

DÉJÀ VU: This marks the second straight year in which the New Paltz men's volleyball team has earned the No. 7 seed in the UVC Tournament. During the 2011 edition of the postseason tournament—the league's first-ever—the Hawks advanced to the championship final as the No. 7 seed, knocking off second-seeded Medaille in five sets in the quarterfinals before topping the third-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology in five sets in the semifinals. New Paltz lost, 3-2, to host Nazareth College, which would go on to win the national title.

WITHOUT STROSS: Senior middle blocker Kevin Stross, a three-time All-Conference selection, has been sidelined for just more than a month due to an injury, and since his absence, the Hawks are 8-7 with one win over a nationally-ranked team (then-No. 15 Baruch College on March 31).

WINNING STREAK: New Paltz is riding the crest of a five-match winning streak, and its last loss came in straight sets against then-No. 3 Springfield College at the Vassar Tournament on March 30. The team's longest winning streak of the campaign came early in the season, as it won seven consecutive matches.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: This year's UVC Tournament is a who's who of nationally-ranked squads, as six are ranked in the AVCA Division III Men's Top-15 Poll and a seventh, New Paltz, is receiving votes. Top among those nationally-ranked UVC teams is Stevens, which was slotted at No. 5 in the April 10 release of the poll.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: New Paltz leads the UVC in overall hitting percentage (.284), and Mike Van Tyne is the offense's primary option, ranking second in the UVC in kills per set (3.84). Misa Garo, the team's setter, averages 9.39 assists per set (892 total), and libero Michael Dauernheim boasts a team-best 1.96 digs per set (180 total). Brian O'Connor and Van Tyne are major factors in the Hawks' front-row defense, as the pair have 88 and 79 total blocks on the season, respectively. Off the serve, O'Connor leads the way with 30 aces.

HEAD COACH RADU PETRUS: Head coach Radu Petrus is wrapping up his sixth year at the helm of the Hawk men's volleyball program. The Romanian-born coach became the third bench boss in program history to reach 100 wins, as he captured his 100th victory on Feb. 4 against The Sage Colleges. For his career, he is 113-84.

SCOUTING THE DUCKS: Stevens looks to avenge its loss to New Paltz from last year's UVC Tournament, as the Ducks bowed out in the semifinals. The Hawks have won two straight against the Ducks, as New Paltz also prevailed in five sets when the two squads met at the Hawk Center on Feb. 15. Offensively, the team turns to Thomas Hannum and David Evans, who have accrued 305 (.330 hitting percentage) and 296 (.290) kills, respectively. The league's leader in assists as a team, Stevens averages 11.98 per set. Kevin Aeckerle (7.66 per set, 881) and Dylan Schlosser (4.84 per set, 474) each have split the setting duties throughout the course of the season. Patrick Dorywalski is completing his 26th season as Stevens' head coach, and he owns a career record of 314-128.