NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The No. 1 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team will look to add another win to its record as the Hawks travel to Cambridge, Mass., to face the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) match on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
RECORDS: New Paltz will enter the contest on a 10-match winning streak, boasting a record of 13-1, 5-0 UVC, while MIT holds an impressive mark of 11-2, 5-1.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (13-1, 5-0 UVC): New Paltz improved its winning streak to 10 after a 3-1 victory over Cairn University on Friday, Feb. 21… Sophomore middle blocker
Christopher Husmann led the Hawk attack with 15 kills… Senior outside hitter
Brian Smith and freshman middle blocker
Steven Woessner each contributed eight kills, and junior setter
John Lutjen dished out 19 assists.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Three Hawks make up the top 10 in the UVC for hitting percentage: sophomore outside hitter
Tim Ferriter is ranked fourth (.398), Woessner is sixth (.387) and Husmann is tenth (.347)… Ferriter leads the team and is ranked fifth in the conference with 3.8 kills per set, he has double-digit kills in all but three matches in which he has played… Woessner, senior middle blocker
Dylan Rabidoux and junior outside hitter
Gus Gregory all rank in the top 10 in the UVC in service aces with 0.48, 0.47 and 0.35 per set, respectively… Senior libero
Victor Tuminelli leads the team in digs per set with 1.98… Sophomore setter
Christian Smith averages 6.67 assists per set; he has dished out double digit assists in all of the matches in which he has played except one… Lutjen has also maintained double-digit assists in all but two of the matches in which he has played… Multiple honors have been bestowed upon the Hawks so far this season… Ferriter has been named UVC Player of the Week twice (Jan. 27 and Feb. 17), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North Men's Volleyball Player of the Week twice (Jan. 28 and Feb. 18) and Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Player of the Week once (Feb. 18)… Freshman middle blocker
C.J. Borfitz was named the UVC Rookie of the Week on Feb. 17.
TEAM STATISTICS: New Paltz is currently ranked No. 1 in the AVCA NCAA Division III Men's Coaches Top-15 Poll with 195 total points… The Hawks are on a 10-match winning streak and are currently undefeated in the UVC… New Paltz ranks first in Division III in assists per set (12.03) and kills per set (12.97)… The Hawks rank first in the UVC in hitting percentage (.314), assists per set (12.03), kills per set (12.97) and and service aces per set (1.74).
SCOUTING THE ENGINEERS (11-2, 5-1 UVC): The No. 10 Engineers took down Vassar College in a UVC match on Saturday, Feb. 22… MIT swept the Brewers, 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-22), behind junior middle hitter Bradley Gross's eight kills off nine attempts and four blocks… Freshman outside hitter Martin Krasuski also recorded eight kills and added two blocks… Senior outside hitter Kenny Siebert totaled six kills, seven digs and two blocks, while senior setter Paul Syta contributed 32 assists, seven kills, five digs and two blocks.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Gross leads the team and is ranked second in the UVC in hitting percentage (.426) percent… Syta ranks ninth in the conference in assists per set (7.24) and fifth in service aces per set (0.37)… Freshman middle hitter Aaron Zalewski ranks third in the UVC with 1.13 blocks per set, and sophomore libero Brendan Chang ranks second with 3.02 digs per set.
TEAM STATISTICS: MIT is ranked second in the UVC conference standings, just under New Paltz… The Engineers rank fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.252 percent), assists per set (11.35) and blocks per set (2.27)… MIT leads the conference in digs per set, averaging 10.89.
LAST MEETING: New Paltz beat then-No. 9 MIT, 3-2, on Jan. 26, 2013 on the opening day of the Live Free or Die Invitational in Nashua, N.H.
MATCH RECAP:
Jan. 26, 2013 WHAT'S NEXT: The Hawks will return to action on Saturday, March 1, as they travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to face Juniata College at 1 p.m. and then Thiel College at 3 p.m., both of which will be non-conference matches… MIT will host Elms College on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m.
COACHES: New Paltz is led by eighth-year head coach
Radu Petrus, while MIT is directed by 11th-year head coach Paul Dill.
