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NEW YORK – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (19-11) saw its 2012 season come to an end on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament, as the Hawks lost, 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19), to the No. 5 Stevens Institute of Technology (26-7) on the campus of New York University at the Jerome S. Coles Center.

Stevens, the No. 2 seed, hit at a .321 clip for the match, which stood well ahead of New Paltz's .161 hitting percentage. However, both teams came up with 44 digs, and the Hawks, the No. 7 seed, floored four service aces to the Ducks' two. Furthermore, Stevens was hindered by 13 service errors. Off the block, Stevens had nine total blocks, while New Paltz had seven.

The Ducks hopped out to a commanding 22-10 lead in the first stanza, and a kill by David Evans gave Stevens the decisive 25-15 victory in the set. Stevens was nearly unstoppable on offense in the first frame as it hit .556, while the Hawks were only able to muster a .042 hitting percentage.

New Paltz battled back in the second, as it emerged from a deadlocked score (19-19) to gain a three-point lead. A service ace by senior defensive specialist Ramius Pruiss (Wallkill, N.Y./Wallkill) made it a 22-19 score, but Stevens climbed back into it, with an Evans kill drawing the Ducks within one at 24-23. After a New Paltz timeout, senior opposite Mike Van Tyne (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) floored a kill and gave the Hawks the 25-23 win in the second.

After sophomore setter/outside hitter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) gave the Hawks a 17-16 lead in the third, Stevens rattled off three straight points, forcing the New Paltz bench to call a timeout. The Hawks came within a point of the Ducks on three occasions, but they were unable to battle back to even, as Stevens took the set, 25-23.

With the score tied 15-all in the fourth set, the Ducks scored seven unanswered points, and that scoring spree ultimately doomed the Hawks. A New Paltz service error etched the fourth set's score at 25-19, and that set win sent Stevens on to the semifinal round.

Van Tyne led the Hawks in kills with 17, while Smith added 11. Sophomore setter Misa Garo (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) handed out 40 assists, while Smith and senior libero Michael Dauernheim (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) each came up with 11 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Victor Tuminelli (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) was strong off the serve, collecting three service aces.

For Stevens, Ryan Seifert and Evans boasted 17 and 13 kills, respectively, while Kevin Aeckerle and Dylan Schlosser split time at the setter position. Aeckerle distributed 31 assists, while Schlosser doled out 26. Thomas Hannum powered the back row defensively with 11 digs, and Jake Modestow had five block assists.

New Paltz has qualified for the UVC Tournament during each of the two years of its existence, entering both times as the No. 7 seed.