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NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Head coach Matt Giufre needed four sets to take down Ithaca College in the State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team's second win of the day Friday at the 11th-annual Hawks Invitational, but the Hawks (7-3) won the match's final three frames to secure Giufre's 300th career win as a college head coach. Giufre finished Friday with a 300-140 overall career record and will be in contention to lead the Hawks to their eighth Hawks Invitational title tomorrow afternoon when they face No. 21 Salisbury University and Mount Saint Mary College.

New Paltz made quick work of The College at Old Westbury (1-1) in its first match of the day, winning, 3-0 (25-9, 25-5, 25-9). The Hawks then topped Ithaca (4-6), 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-22), in the nightcap. The pair of wins pushed the Hawks' winning streak to seven.

After two tie scores and two lead changes in the first set against Old Westbury, the Hawks settled down and cruised to a three-set win. New Paltz hit at a .333 clip for the match, while the Panthers posted just a -.119 hitting percentage. Furthermore, the Hawks scored often off the serve, posting 20 service aces throughout the match.

Freshman right side Anna Paulik (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh), junior outside hitter Alex Bizub (Linden, N.J./Cranford) and senior middle hitter Liz Hauser (East Williston, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) tied for the match-high in kills with six each, while sophomore setter Lauren O'Hern (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) dished out 17 assists coming off the bench. O'Hern nearly notched a non-traditional double-double, as she finished with nine service aces. Her nine aces rank second all-time in program history for the most in a three-set match. Junior outside hitter Katy Herbst (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) collected 11 digs defensively, playing as the team's libero for the day.

Ithaca rallied late in the first set to stun the Hawks and spoil the possibility of another three-set sweep. After trailing, 22-20, the Bombers earned three straight points, and a kill by Grace Chang gave Ithaca a 23-22 lead. Following a New Paltz timeout, a Hawk attacking error brought the Bombers within set point at 24-22. Junior outside hitter Alli Coleman (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton Central) floored a kill to draw the Hawks within one, but a Hawk hitting error on the next rally gave set one to Ithaca.

New Paltz was able to use 10 straight points to construct a commanding 16-6 lead in the second stanza. Ithaca came as close as six points three times, but the Hawks were able to finish the frame off with back-to-back kills from freshman middle hitter Morgan Roessler (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and sophomore outside hitter Becca Borquist (Rhinebeck, N.Y./Rhinebeck) to notch a 25-17 victory.

The Hawks appeared headed toward another comfortable set win in the third, but Ithaca scored four consecutive points late to pull within eight at 23-15. Coleman and Bizub each tallied a kill, and New Paltz picked up at 25-15 set win to head into the fourth with a 2-1 lead in sets won.

Back-and-forth play highlighted the fourth set, as a 20-14 New Paltz lead wound up dwindling down to a 21-all score. The two teams sided each other out before the Hawks closed the match on a 3-0 run. Paulik accounted for two of those points, including the match-winning kill.

Borquist paced the Hawks with 16 kills, while Coleman and Roessler nabbed 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Senior setter Marissa King (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy) handed out 41 assists, while Herbst and freshman outside hitter Rachel Pierson (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) totaled 15 and 12 digs, respectively. Furthermore, Roessler finished with four block assists.

For Ithaca, Shaelynn Schmidt pounded out 19 kills and hit .425, while Carly Garone dished out 20 assists. Defensively, Dylan Gawinski Stern had 12 digs, while Siobhan Sorensen had six block assists.

New Paltz continues action at the Hawks Invitational tomorrow, facing Salisbury at 1 p.m. before closing out the tournament with a 3 p.m. tilt against Mount Saint Mary.