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ELMIRA, N.Y. – The No. 1 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 28-26) win over Hilbert College in its final match at a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Crossover hosted by Elmira College on Sunday at Speidel Gymnasium.
 
The Hawks used 12 different student-athletes in the win, using a .591 hitting percentage in the first set to hit .324 for the match. Hilbert, meanwhile, struggled to find offense, hitting at a -.171 clip. The Hawks also won the match at the net defensively, finishing with an 11-3 edge in total blocks.
 
New Paltz rises to 19-3 overall and 7-2 in the UVC with the win. The Hawks host New York University on Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. in their final UVC match of the season. Nazareth College, which finished its conference schedule at 10-1 overall, will host the UVC Tournament from Saturday-Sunday, April 12-13, as the conference's regular-season champion. With numerous scenarios available with regard to New Paltz's seeding at the UVC Tournament, the Hawks can finish as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 5.
 
Hilbert drops to 4-21 overall, 2-9 UVC and visits Elmira College on Wednesday, March 12, for a 7 p.m. UVC match.
 
With the score tied at 4-all in the first set, New Paltz scored six of the next seven points, and a Hilbert ball-handling error gave New Paltz a 10-5 lead. Hilbert stayed within striking distance until New Paltz ended the set on a 7-0 run, which included a pair of aces from junior setter John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) and a pair of kills by freshman middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa). New Paltz won the first set by a 25-11 final.
 
New Paltz won the second set on the strength of an 8-0 run early that gave the Hudson Valley-based Hawks an 8-1 advantage. Hilbert scored consecutive points just twice the rest of the set, and New Paltz pulled out a 25-13 win in the second set.
 
Down 17-10 in the third, Hilbert made a strong run, scoring 11 of the next 16 points to pull within one (22-21) after a kill by senior outside hitter Adam Weaver. The two teams traded points until three unanswered points by the Western New York-based Hawks claimed the lead at 25-24. With set point up, New Paltz called a timeout, which paid off, as the Hudson Valley-based Hawks received a kill by senior middle blocker Dylan Rabidoux (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) and a block assist by Rabidoux and sophomore setter Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) to take a 26-25 edge. Hilbert's junior right side Andrew Duncan evened the score with a kill, but a Hilbert attacking error and a Rabidoux kill gave New Paltz a 28-26 match-clinching victory in the third.
 
Christian Smith led a balanced Hawk attack with seven kills and a .700 hitting percentage, and he added a match-high 22 assists. Freshman middle blocker C.J. Borfitz (Inwood, N.Y./Lawrence) paced the front row defensively with seven total blocks.
 
For Hilbert, Weaver landed nine kills, while junior right side David Mellerski added 13 assists and seven digs. Weaver also totaled three service aces.