NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball season gets underway this Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Stevenson Tournament in Owings Mills, Md.
2014 RECORDS: The Hawks finished 28-4 with an 8-2 mark in United Volleyball Conference (UVC) action… Stevenson went 22-9, 9-1 in the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC)… Rutgers-Newark finished 9-17, 1-13 in their final year in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), a Division-I conference.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (0-0): In the historic 2014 season, New Paltz qualified for its first-ever NCAA Tournament after winning its first-ever United Volleyball Conference (UVC) title… The Hawks finished No. 3 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament… In the 2015 AVCA Top-15 Preseason Poll, the Hawks earned 184 points and received the No. 4 ranking… In the UVC Preseason Poll, New Paltz received the No. 2 ranking… New Paltz returns four out of its six starters… Junior setter
Christian Smith has been named to the Off the Block/Springbak Preseason All-American Team after being named to the AVCA All-American First Team and All UVC Second Team in the 2014 season… Sophomore middle blocker
Steven Woessner was also named to the Off the Block/Springbak Preseason All-American Team after being named to the AVCA All-American Second Team, All UVC Second Team, and AVCA Newcomer of the Year in the 2014 season.
RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS:Kills: Husmann (2.68 per set), Woessner (2.02 per set), Smith (1.82 per set)
Hitting Percentage:
C.J. Borfitz (.461),
Christopher Husmann (.379), Woessner (.358)
Assists: Smith (6.56 per set),
John Lutjen (5.44 per set),
Kevin Nardone (2.84 per set)
Service Aces: Woessner (.51 per set), Smith (.30 per set),
Gus Gregory (.28 per set)
Digs: Lutjen (1.40 per set), Smith (1.24 per set),
Steve Gassert (1.06 per set)
Blocks: Woessner (.82 per set), Borfitz (.72 per set), Husmann (.71 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS (2014): The Hawks led NCAA Division III in assists per set last year (12.34 per set)… New Paltz led D-III with 13.33 kills per set and led the nation with a .875 winning percentage… New Paltz finished second in D-III with a .320 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS (0-0): In 2014 the Mustangs finished with a 22-9 record… In the 2015 AVCA Top-15 Preseason Poll, Stevenson received the No. 14 ranking… In the CVC Preseason Poll, the Mustangs received the No. 2 ranking after earning the top seed in the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Men's Volleyball Championship… The Mustangs return four starters including two All-CVC East First Team selections, senior setter David Moler and junior libero Scott Morantz… Moler holds the school record in career assists with 3,341 and ranked tenth in the nation a year ago… Morantz spent half the season as the starting libero and finished fourth on the team with 135 digs.
RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS:Kills: Kyle Pottieger (2.39 per set), Kyle Wisner (2.05 per set), Kevin Carter (2.00 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Morantz (.500), Wesley Richardson (.408), Moler (.373)
Assists: Moler (10.01 per set), Robert Wingert (3.51 per set), Kyle Johnson (3.40 per set)
Service Aces: David Santangelo (.33 per set), Pottieger (.25 per set), Wingert (.22 per set)
Digs: Adam Thatcher (2.98 per set), Morantz (2.41 per set), Moler (1.60 per set)
Blocks: Wisner (1.05 per set), Eddy Klepper (.89 per set), Nathan Ellis (.89 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS (2014): Stevenson ranked ninth in Division III with 10.82 digs per set… The Mustangs ranked second in the CVC in digs per set (10.69).
LAST MEETING: The Hawks defeated the No. 11 Mustangs 3-0 when these two teams last met on Jan. 26, 2014.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET RAIDERS (0-3): This marks the first season Rutgers-Newark men's volleyball will be competing at the Division III level… The Scarlet Raiders will be competing in the CVC and are "receiving votes" along with five other teams in the AVCA Top-15 Preseason Poll… The Scarlet Raiders kicked off their season with three games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and dropped all three in 1-3, 0-3, and 0-3 fashion… Junior opposite Travis Mintzer leads the team in kills and points… In their recent match against UPR-Mayaguez, junior middle hitter Cody Chidsey led the way with six kills, two solo blocks, and a block assist.
RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS:Kills: Mintzer (2.56 per set), Jack Fredricks (2.05 per set), Jose Mendez (2.00 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Chidsey (.318), Mintzer (.202), Fredricks (.184)
Assists: Kevin McCandless (8.73 per set), Alex Barnhard (2.04 per set)
Service Aces: Fredricks (.21 per set), Mendez (.14 per set)
Digs: McCandless (1.64 per set), Fredricks (1.60 per set)
Blocks: Mintzer (.73 per set), Chidsey (.71 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS (2014): Rutgers-Newark ranked fourth in the EIVA in blocks per set (2.37)… The Scarlet Raiders ranked sixth in the league in digs per set (9.06).
LAST MEETING: This will mark the first-ever meeting between the Hawks and Rutgers-Newark as the Scarlet Raiders competed at the Division I level before this season.
WHAT'S NEXT: New Paltz heads to NYU on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.… Stevenson will compete in the Medaille Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 31… Rutgers-Newark will host New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
