Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 1 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team saw its 10-match win streak come to an end against the No. 6 Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Tuesday night in a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) match at Rockwell Cage, as the Engineers prevailed, 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 17-25, 16-14), over the Hawks.
 
New Paltz, which had won the fourth set in convincing fashion to force the deciding stanza, rallied back from an 8-3 deficit in the fifth. The Engineers brought up match point at 14-11 after freshman middle hitter Aaron Zalewski posted a solo block, but New Paltz's sophomore middle blocker Christopher Husmann (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) responded with three straight kills to force an MIT timeout. A Hawk attacking error followed by an Engineer block assist, however, ended up giving MIT the match victory, as New Paltz lost for the first time since falling to then-No. 4 Springfield College at home on Feb. 6.
 
With the win, MIT moves into sole possession of first place in the UVC standings, while New Paltz drops back into a tie with Nazareth College for second. MIT moves to 12-2 overall (6-1 UVC) and next hosts Elms College on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. New Paltz falls to 13-2 overall (5-1 UVC) and next faces No. 2 Juniata College and Thiel College at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, March 1, in a tri-match at Vassar College.
 
MIT ended up controlling the momentum for much of the first set and wound up taking a 22-16 lead after senior outside hitter Kenny Siebert floored a service ace. The Hawks earned four straight points, though, and after an Engineer block assist, New Paltz drew within one at 23-22 with a block assist by junior setter John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) and Husmann. MIT closed out the set with a kill by junior middle hitter Andrew Busse and a Hawk attacking error to go up one set to none.
 
Neither team could gain much separation in the second set, but New Paltz reversed a 20-18 MIT advantage into a 22-20 Hawk lead. Following an Engineer timeout, MIT received a termination from junior opposite Alex Klein, but a kill by sophomore outside hitter Tim Ferriter (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) and a solo block by Husmann put New Paltz on top, 24-21. Klein pounded down a kill before a Hawk attacking error drew MIT within one, but Ferriter closed the stanza with a termination to even the score at one set apiece.
 
MIT scored consecutive points five times down the stretch in the third to ultimately take a 25-22 set triumph. Freshman middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) made it a one-point score at 23-22 with a kill, but a Zalewski kill and a Hawk ball-handling error gave the Engineers the set.
 
New Paltz turned the tables in the fourth set, scoring consecutive points on five occasions to cruise to a 25-17 victory in the frame. The run that put the Hawks ahead for good came midway through the frame, as Husmann capitalized on a kill and an ace before a bad set by MIT gave New Paltz a 15-11 lead.
 
MIT won the match at the net, posting 17 total team blocks to the Hawks' 11. MIT hit .184 for the match compared to New Paltz's .146 clip, but the Hawks did land five service aces to the Engineers' one.
 
Four Hawks reached double-digit kill totals, led by Woessner and Ferriter, who had 13 each. Sophomore setter Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) posted a double-double with 11 kills and 28 assists, while Husmann tallied 11 kills. Lutjen notched a double-double, too, with 25 assists and 10 digs, while senior libero Victor Tuminelli (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) defended 16 digs. Husmann led the team in blocking with six total blocks.
 
For MIT, Siebert had a match-high 18 kills and hit .536, while senior setter Paul Syta doled out 31 assists. Busse finished with a match-high eight blocks, while Syta completed a double-double with 12 digs.