Box Score NEW YORK – After nearly a two-week break from competition, the No. 3 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team showed very little sign of rust, topping Hunter College, 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-19), at the Hunter Sportsplex Wednesday night in non-conference action.
New Paltz hit .360 for the match and landed 31 kills, while Hunter hit .182. New Paltz also floored four service aces to Hunter's one.
New Paltz moves to 21-3 overall on the season and next faces Baruch College on the road on Tuesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. Hunter drops to 11-10 overall and meets up with Brooklyn College and Baruch on Saturday, March 29, at a City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Multi-Match.
With New Paltz up, 23-19, in the first set, Hunter scored four of the next five points to pull within 24-23. Sophomore setter
Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) took a set from junior setter
John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) on the next rally and landed a kill, giving New Paltz the first stanza, 25-23.
Hunter led for portions of the second set and eventually captured a 23-22 advantage off a kill by senior outside hitter Matthew Ng. Following a New Paltz timeout, Hunter surrendered two straight points to give New Paltz set point at 24-23. Hunter tied the score at 24-all before senior outside hitter
Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and
Christian Smith floored back-to-back kills to win the set, 26-24.
New Paltz dominated early in the third set, jumping out to an 8-0 cushion. While Hunter had a stretch where it scored five straight points, New Paltz ultimately prevailed with a match-clinching 25-19 triumph.
Sophomore outside hitter
Tim Ferriter (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) and
Christian Smith led the New Paltz attack with 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Lutjen doled out 27 assists, while
Brian Smith had three service aces and freshman middle blocker
Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) totaled four total blocks.
Ng's 10 kills paced Hunter, while senior setter Stanley Martinez had 18 assists. Freshman opposite Ben Crusinberry defended a match-high nine digs.
