NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The nationally No. 2 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team finishes up its quest for its first-ever United Volleyball Conference (UVC) title this weekend, as the Hawks travel to Nazareth College for the 2014 UVC Tournament. The No. 2 seed in the tournament, New Paltz meets up with Penn State Behrend in the quarterfinal round at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
If the Hawks beat the Lions in the quarterfinals, they will face either the third-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the seventh-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology in the semifinals on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The championship match is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, and the winner of that contest will win the UVC title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (24-3, 8-2 UVC): New Paltz enters the UVC Tournament with a six-match winning streak… The Hawks have won each of their six matches during that stretch by a 3-0 final, and their most recent victory came on Wednesday, April 9, against New Jersey City University… New Paltz hit a season-best .606 for the match, and only one student-athlete had a hitting percentage under .333… Senior outside hitter
Brian Smith and senior middle blocker
Brian O'Connor paced the Hawk attack with 10 kills each, and they posted hitting percentages of .750 and .643, respectively… The All-UVC teams were announced on Thursday, and four Hawks were honored… Sophomore outside hitter
Tim Ferriter was named to the All-UVC First Team, while sophomore setter
Christian Smith and freshman middle blocker
Steven Woessner were chosen to the All-UVC Second Team… Sophomore middle blocker
Christopher Husmann was tabbed as an Honorable Mention All-UVC pick… In addition, Woessner was named the UVC Co-Rookie of the Year… New Paltz makes the UVC Tournament for the third time in as many years… The Hawks have advanced as far as the championship match, which it achieved in 2011.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: Ferriter leads the team in kills per set (3.69) and ranks fourth in the UVC in the statistical category… He also ranks eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.358)… Woessner ranks second in the UVC and leads the team in service aces per set (0.41), and he also ranks third in the UVC and leads the team in hitting percentage (.383)…
Christian Smith and junior setter
John Lutjen team up in running a 6-2 offense, averaging 6.66 and 5.43 assists per set, respectively.
TEAM STATISTICS: Statistically, New Paltz stands at the top of the charts in nearly every category, leading the UVC in hitting percentage (.322), opponent hitting percentage (.138), assists per set (12.40), opponents assists per set (7.93), kills per set (13.36), opponent kills per set (8.49), opponent blocks per set (1.67), service aces per set (1.85) and reception errors per set (0.88).
COACH: New Paltz is mentored by eighth-year head coach
Radu Petrus.
No. 1 Nazareth College Golden Flyers (15-9, 10-1 UVC): TOP PLAYERS: Junior middle blocker Luke Lawatsch (First-Team All-UVC, 1.13 blocks per set, .360 hitting percentage, 1.99 kills per set, 0.27 service aces per set); sophomore outside hitter Tim Zyburt (First-Team All-UVC, 3.33 kills per set, 1.24 digs per set, 0.70 blocks per set, .298 hitting percentage); sophomore outside hitter Grant Levermore (Honorable Mention All-UVC; 2.43 kills per set, 1.65 digs per set, 0.58 blocks per set, 0.29 service aces per set); junior setter Nick McDonagh (9.35 assists per set, 1.32 digs per set, 0.60 blocks per set); sophomore libero Cory Randolph (1.67 digs per set).
NOTES: Nazareth has not played since March 30… The Golden Flyers have won all three UVC championships dating back to the conference's inception in 2011… Nazareth is ranked at No. 10 in the most recent Division III poll… The Golden Flyers' only conference loss came against New Paltz on Feb. 9, as the Hawks won by a 3-1 final at the first UVC Crossover at MIT… Nazareth is led by 10th-year head coach Cal Wickens.
No. 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers (24-5, 8-3 UVC) TOP PLAYERS: Senior outside hitter Kenny Siebert (Second-Team All-UVC, 2.78 kills per set, 1.49 digs per set, 0.42 blocks per set); senior setter Paul Syta (Second-Team All-UVC, 7.33 assists per set, 2.08 digs per set, 1.19 kills per set, 0.49 blocks per set, 0.32 service aces per set); sophomore libero Brendan Chang (UVC Libero of the Year, 3.21 digs per set); junior middle blocker Andrew Busse (1.52 kills per set, 0.89 blocks per set, .284 hitting percentage).
NOTES: MIT enters the tournament on a four-match winning streak, which includes a 3-2 win over nationally-ranked UC Santa Cruz from April 5… The Engineers' lone conference losses came at the hands of Nazareth, Medaille College and Stevens… MIT is in its first year in the UVC… MIT is ranked at No. 5 in the most recent Division III poll… The Engineers are led by 11th-year head coach Paul Dill.
No. 4 Elmira College Soaring Eagles (23-9, 8-3 UVC)TOP PLAYERS: Senior setter Michael Vellutato (UVC Player of the Year, First-Team All-UVC, 10.20 assists per set, 1.77 digs per set, 0.55 blocks per set, 0.34 service aces per set); sophomore outside hitter Erik Griffin (Second-Team All-UVC, 3.63 kills per set, 1.73 digs per set, 0.52 blocks per set, 0.28 service aces per set); senior outside hitter Ryan Gelenitis (2.53 kills per set, 1.50 digs per set); junior libero Rob Shade (2.90 digs per set); sophomore middle blocker Dylan Kuhn (1.09 blocks per set, 1.79 kills per set, .301 hitting percentage).
NOTES: Elmira went 2-2 at the MIT Scramble from April 4-5 in Cambridge, Mass… The Soaring Eagles posted the same UVC record as MIT, but the Engineers earned the higher seed based on head-to-head result… Elmira has made the UVC in each of the past two years, but the Soaring Eagles have never advanced past the quarterfinal round… The Soaring Eagles are ranked at No. 11 in the most recent NCAA Division III poll… Elmira is led by second-year head coach Stephen England.
No. 5 Medaille College Mavericks (17-8, 8-3 UVC) TOP PLAYERS: Senior right side Trevor Barrett (First-Team All-UVC, 3.92 kills per set, .318 hitting percentage, 1.73 digs per set, 0.57 blocks per set); junior setter David Riggsby (Honorable Mention All-UVC, 8.89 assists per set, 1.78 digs per set, 0.49 blocks per set, 0.28 service aces per set); junior outside hitter David Hill (2.34 kills per set, 1.14 digs per set); sophomore outside hitter Jack Hagerty (1.61 kills per set, 1.02 blocks per set); sophomore outside hitter Nate Schneider (2.22 digs per set).
NOTES: Medaille, tied with MIT and Elmira in the final UVC standings at 8-3, beat MIT but lost to Elmira in the regular season… Medaille heads into the tournament coming off a win, as the Mavericks beat D'Youville College, 3-0, in a non-conference match on April 8… The Mavericks have qualified for every UVC Tournament since the conference's first year in 2011, and they have advanced as far as the semifinal round… Medaille is ranked at No. 9 in the most recent NCAA Division III poll… The Mavericks are directed by ninth-year head coach Keith Koch.
No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks (20-8, 7-4 UVC) TOP PLAYERS: Junior setter Kevin Aeckerle (First-Team All-UVC, 10.09 assists per set, 2.26 digs per set, 0.32 blocks per set); freshman outside hitter Gabe Shankweiler (UVC Co-Rookie of the Year, Honorable Mention All-UVC, 3.51 kills pet set, 1.72 digs per set, 0.44 blocks per set); sophomore middle hitter Alexander Carpenter (Honorable Mention All-UVC, 1.14 blocks per set, 1.38 kills per set, .295 hitting percentage); sophomore outside hitter Chris Vaughan (Honorable Mention All-UVC, 3.42 kills per set, .337 hitting percentage, 1.95 digs per set, 0.58 blocks per set); junior libero Dylan Schlosser (2.42 digs per set).
NOTES: Stevens has been hot as of late, having won eight of its last nine matches… Three of those wins came against nationally-ranked teams… Stevens' lone blemishes in conference play came against Nazareth, New York University, Elmira and New Paltz… The Ducks are 11-1 this season at neutral sites… Stevens has qualified for every UVC Tournament since the conference's first season in 2011, and it has made the championship match in each of the past two seasons… Stevens is ranked at No. 6 in the most recent NCAA Division III poll… The Ducks are led by 28th-year head coach Patrick Dorywalski.
No. 7 Penn State Behrend Lions (15-8, 5-6 UVC) TOP PLAYERS: Senior outside hitter Nathan Steele (Honorable Mention All-UVC, 2.97 kills per set, .333 hitting percentage, 0.86 digs per set); senior outside hitter Grant Kocher (2.20 kills per set, 1.46 digs per set); junior outside hitter Ty Sheahan (2.31 digs per set, 1.35 kills per set); senior setter Colin Ingram (6.58 assists per set, 0.44 blocks per set).
NOTES: The Lions have won four straight matches, including a five-set victory over Thiel College, which was nationally-ranked earlier this season… Penn State Behrend has made the UVC Tournament in each of the past two seasons, and in 2012, the Lions beat top-seeded and host NYU in the first round in five sets… The Lions gained the No. 7 seed by virtue of holding a head-to-head tiebreaker over NYU… Penn State Behrend is guided by 10th-year head coach Phil Pisano.
No. 8 New York University Violets (16-10, 5-6 UVC) TOP PLAYERS: Senior setter Connor Mortland (First-Team All-UVC, 10.51 assists per set, .425 hitting percentage, 1.55 digs per set, 0.60 blocks per set); senior middle blocker Nick Capriccio (Second-Team All-UVC, 2.19 kills per set, .416 hitting percentage, 0.84 blocks per set); sophomore outside hitter Phil Bueno (2.08 kills per set, .370 hitting percentage, 0.88 blocks per set); junior libero Andrew Quirk (2.46 digs per set).
NOTES: NYU has been victorious in each of its past two matches, including a 3-1 win over Ramapo College on April 9 in its regular-season finale… The Violets have qualified for the UVC Tournament in each of the past two years, but they have not yet advanced past the quarterfinal round… NYU is guided by 21st-year head coach Jose Pina.
