Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – In a rematch from last year's United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament semifinal on Saturday at Nazareth College's Kidera Gymnasium, the nationally-ranked No. 2 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team topped the nationally-ranked No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 25-15), to advance to the UVC final for the second time in program history.
 
Earlier in the day, the second-seeded Hawks had little trouble with Penn State Behrend in the quarterfinal round, downing the seventh-seeded Lions, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-20).
 
New Paltz rises to 26-3 overall and will face off with the Cinderella team of the tournament, eighth-seeded New York University, in the championship final tomorrow at 1 p.m. New Paltz downed NYU, a traditional NCAA Division III power, in less than an hour when the two teams met at the Hawk Center on March 13, as the Hawks prevailed by a 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-17) final. Stevens' record drops to 21-9 overall, and its fate now lies at the hands of the NCAA selection committee for a potential at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
No. 2 New Paltz 3, Penn State Behrend 0
 
The lead changed hands just two times during New Paltz's quarterfinal match against Penn State Behrend, as the Hawks hit .403 en route to the uncontested 3-0 win.
 
The Lions, meanwhile, were limited to .188 hitting, and the Hawks' aggressiveness at the service line paid off with 13 team service aces, which included five each from freshman middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) and sophomore outside hitter Tim Ferriter (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit). New Paltz doubled up Penn State Behrend in both defensive statistical categories, finishing up with a 6-3 edge in total team blocks and a 28-14 advantage in digs.
 
Ferriter and sophomore middle blocker Christopher Husmann (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) tallied 12 and 10 kills, respectively, to pace the Hawk attack, with Husmann posting a .615 hitting percentage and Ferriter hitting at a .526 clip. Sophomore setter Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) dished out 21 assists, while junior setter John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) added 17. Woessner and Husmann each finished with three total blocks.
 
Penn State Behrend was led offensively by senior outside hitter Nathan Steele, who floored seven kills. Senior setter Colin Ingram doled out 15 assists, while senior outside hitter Grant Kocher defended four digs.
 
No. 2 New Paltz 3, No. 6 Stevens 1
 
The Hawks stretched their winning streak to eight with their victory over Stevens, but the sixth-seeded Ducks gave New Paltz its toughest test in a month, going point for point before ultimately falling victim to Division III's top offensive team.

All told, the flow of the match was dictated by the result of the first set. After back-and-forth shifts of momentum in the stanza, Stevens claimed a 20-17 advantage and appeared well on its way to take advantage of the sideout nature of men's volleyball en route to claiming the first set. New Paltz had other plans in mind, though, with senior outside hitter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) flooring a kill and a service ace before Stevens' junior middle hitter Daniel Smith responded with a kill. Woessner and Husmann posted back-to-back kills to force a 21-all tie and a Stevens timeout. Woessner gave the Hawks the lead with a service ace on the ensuing rally.
 
The two teams traded points until a Duck service error gave the Hawks set point. Lutjen and Woessner put up a block assist to claim the set-clinching point on the next rally, and New Paltz edged Stevens, 26-24, in the first.
 
New Paltz controlled the momentum early in the second, and after the Hawks took a 19-14 advantage, the Ducks fought back to pull within two at 21-19. New Paltz closed the set on a 4-0 tear, with Christian Smith coming up with a block solo to put Stevens on the ropes with a 25-19 Hawk win in the second set.
 
The Hawks appeared destined for a straight-set sweep in the third, taking a 6-2 lead. Stevens scored points in bunches, though, and it took a 12-9 lead following a New Paltz timeout. The Ducks led the rest of the way in the stanza, and they staved off elimination from the UVC Tournament with a 25-22 victory in the third.
 
Determined to avenge last year's season-ending loss to Stevens, New Paltz put the ball in the hands of its 2013 All-American in Ferriter. Ferriter floored six kills in the first 16 points of the match, as the Hawks seized a commanding 11-5 cushion. Some back-and-forth play ensued, but consecutive kills from Husmann, Ferriter and Brian Smith gave New Paltz a 22-13 edge. After three sideout points, Brian Smith and Woessner punched the Hawks' ticket to the UVC final with a 25-15 triumph in the fourth.
 
New Paltz outhit Stevens, .302-to-.191 for the match, but Stevens held a 10-9 advantage in blocks. The Hawks finished with a 6-3 edge in service aces.
 
In accordance with the team's plan all season, a balanced attack led the way, with four Hawks posting double-digit kill figures. Ferriter's 16 kills led the way, while Husmann floored 12 terminations. Brian Smith and Woessner tallied 10 kills, respectively. Christian Smith and Lutjen handed out 32 and 19 assists, respectively, while Ferriter completed the double-double with 10 digs. Woessner also contributed on the front row defensively and on the service line, with four block assists and three service aces, respectively.
 
For Stevens, sophomore outside hitter Chris Vaughan keyed the offense with 15 kills, while junior setter Kevin Aeckerle provided 37 assists and seven digs. Junior libero Dylan Schlosser finished with a team-high eight digs.