Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The No. 9 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (7-0) notched an important non-conference victory over No. 8 Baruch College (5-1) on Thursday night at the Hawk Center, as the Hawks prevailed, 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 23-25, 27-25, 16-14). New Paltz trailed, 24-21, in the fourth set with match point on the line, but the Hawks rallied to tie the score and eventually win the set.

Freshman outside hitter Tim Ferriter (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) came up big for New Paltz, posting a double-double with 24 kills and 10 digs. Freshman middle blocker Christopher Husmann (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and sophomore setter John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) helped out offensively, too, with 15 and 12 kills respectively, and Lutjen completed the double-double with 24 assists. Freshman setter/right side Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) also boasted 24 assists, and he tallied four block assists.

For Baruch, Nick Smith floored 21 kills, while Jack McKee and Martin Joksimovik added 12 and 11, respectively. Scott Standring played a well-rounded match, piecing together a double-double with 50 assists and 15 digs. Gabe Rivera and Taylor Higgs also notched double-digit dig figures with 13 and 11 digs, respectively. Joksimovik had seven block assists to pace the front row's defensive efforts.

New Paltz hit .248 for the match compared with Baruch's .220 clip, but the Bearcats served 10 fewer errors than the Hawks. Baruch also outblocked New Paltz by a 10-8 edge.

The first two sets were lopsided in nature, with neither featuring a single lead change. The first stanza went in New Paltz's favor, while Baruch countered in the second set.

New Paltz held the upper hand early in the third set, as it started out with a 10-7 lead. Baruch rattled off three straight points to tie the score, and after each team sided out each other, the Hawks received points from a Ferriter kill and a junior middle blocker Dylan Rabidoux (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) service ace to grab a 13-11 lead. Baruch scored four of the next five points to seize a 15-14 edge, but two straight Hawk points prompted a Bearcat timeout. Baruch did not let New Paltz get into a rhythm heading into the final stretch, and it claimed a 23-20 advantage. Back-to-back points off Ferriter terminations brought the Hawks within one at 23-22. Another Baruch timeout set up a Joksimovik kill, but a Bearcat service error made it a one-point game with set point on the line. Steven Coniglio pounded down a kill on the ensuing point to give the Bearcats a 2-1 cushion heading into the fourth set.

A string of four straight points for Baruch midway through the fourth set made the match result look inevitable, as the Bearcats led 16-12. New Paltz was unable to create any sort of rally heading into match point, as Baruch led 24-21. Then, the tables turned to the tune of four consecutive Hawk points. Junior outside hitter/setter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) registered a kill, and Baruch picked up an attacking error to pull the Hawks within one. Another Bearcat attacking error knotted the score at 24-all, and New Paltz gained a point advantage on Baruch with a B. Smith service ace. The Bearcats tied the score at 25-all, but back-to-back Ferriter kills solidified the Hawks' comeback, and it forced a deciding fifth set.

Baruch opened the fifth stanza with three straight points, which New Paltz matched immediately. Back-to-back Baruch kills gave the Bearcats a two-point lead, and they controlled the momentum heading into the turn, as McKee landed a kill to make the score 8-7 in favor of Baruch. The two teams traded points heading into the final stretch, and the Bearcats led, 12-11. Husmann tied it up at 12-all with a kill, and after a McKee termination, Husmann answered again with a kill. Gabe Rivera brought up match point with a kill, but McKee misfired on an attack to knot the score at 14-all. A Rivera error gave the Hawks a 15-14 lead, and B. Smith punctuated the match with a kill.

New Paltz travels to Medaille College this weekend for the first round of United Volleyball Conference (UVC) crossover play. The Hawks face No. 11 Elmira College on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m. before squaring off with No. 14 Medaille and D'Youville College on Sunday, Feb. 10.