NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The No. 4 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team will take on Cairn University and Brooklyn College on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Cairn Tri-Match in Langhorne, Pa.
RECORDS: The Hawks are 6-3 after falling to No. 8 Springfield College on Wednesday… Entering Saturday, the Bulldogs are 0-14… Cairn University is 8-10 overall.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (6-3): New Paltz could not finish against three-time defending NCAA Division III National Champion Springfield College on Wednesday, losing 3-2 (25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 8-15)… Junior middle blocker
Christopher Husmann finished with a match-high 22 kills and a .704 hitting percentage (22-3-27)… Husmann's hitting percentage is a new Hawk Center record in a five set match and is second best in single match program history… Husmann also had two service aces, two digs, and two block assists… Freshman outside hitter
Anthony Bonilla contributed 15 kills and nine digs... Junior setter
Christian Smith had a team-high 29 assists and also added nine kills and an ace… Senior setter
John Lutjen recorded 24 assists… Sophomore middle blocker
Steven Woessner and senior outside hitter
Gus Gregory combined for 12 kills, seven digs, five aces, and two blocks… Husmann leads the nation in hitting percentage (.515).
STATISTICAL LEADERS:Kills: Bonilla (3.12 per set), Husmann (2.76 per set), Smith (2.00 per set)
Hitting Percentage:
Chris Lilley (1.00), Husmann (.515),
Nick Denoncourt (.435)
Assists: Smith (5.65 per set), Lutjen (5.10 per set),
Mitchell Kennedy (3.40 per set)
Service Aces: Woessner (0.44 per set), Lutjen (0.29 per set), Bonilla (0.26 per set)
Digs:
Kevin Nardone (2.32 per set), Bonilla (1.32 per set),
Andy Fishman (1.17 per set)
Blocks: Husmann (0.79 per set), Woessner (0.78 per set), Smith (0.58 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS:
The Hawks currently hold the number one spot in the NCAA in assists per set (12.41)… In the United Volleyball Conference (UVC), the Hawks are first in assists (12.41 per set), kills (13.06 per set), and opponent kills (8.32 per set)… New Paltz takes the number three spot in hitting percentage (.300), opponent hitting percentage (.162), opponent assists (7.82 per set) and opponent blocks (1.69 per set).
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS (8-10): Cairn University broke their five-match losing streak on Wednesday night with a 3-1 win against New Jersey City University… Cairn lost the first set but came back to win the next three (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-20)… Senior outside hitter Josiah Buss had 13 kills and a .300 hitting percentage… Freshman outside hitter Andy Willits also had 10 kills on 27 attempts. Buss and Willits both had four service aces… The Highlanders had 13 aces in the match… Senior outside hitter David Dager contributed eight kills and freshman setter Alex Lower collected 34 assists and three block assists… Junior opposite Michael Edmond led the way for the Highlanders in blocks with five block assists… Senior outside hitter Ryan Garven had seven digs, the highest on the team… Senior libero Matthew Rhodes added six digs… Buss leads the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) in kills with 164… Rhodes is number two in the CVC in digs with 124 and Buss holds the number three spot with 116... Colson has a total hitting percentage of .346, which makes him number three in the CVC... Freshman opposite Micah Godshall leads the CVC in service aces per set with 0.67 and Buss is number three with 0.53.
STATISTICAL LEADERSKills: Buss (2.78 per set), Randall Colson (2.53 per set), Willits (2.22 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Colson (.346), Willits (.188), Buss (1.74)
Assists: Lower (9.10 per set), Garven (0.33 per set), Willits (0.20 per set)
Service Aces: Godshall (0.67 per set), Buss (0.53 per set), Edmond (0.39 per set)
Digs: Rhodes (2.07 per set), Buss (1.97 per set), Garven (1.67 per set)
Blocks: Colson (0.80 per set), Dan Winters (0.60 per set), Godshall (0.43 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS: Cairn leads the CVC in total digs with 220 and service aces with 125 (2.08 per set)… The Highlanders are second in total kills with 632.
LAST MEETING: New Paltz beat Cairn University 3-1 the last time these teams met on Feb. 21, 2014.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS (0-14): The Brooklyn College men's volleyball team fell to Lehman College 3-1 last Thursday evening… The Bulldogs lost to the Lightning in the first set 25-14 but came out strong, winning the second set 26-24 to tie the match 1-1… The Lightning squeaked out a win in the third set 30-28 and closed the match in the third set 25-10… For Brooklyn, freshman middle hitter Rudy Zhao had a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs, as well as four service aces… Freshman setter Kevin Bautista also posted a double-double with 21 assists and 12 digs… Freshman middle hitter Ian Miranda finished with five kills and 12 digs… Sophomore outside hitter Shawn Varghese contributed with six kills and 10 digs…. Zhao holds the number three spot in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) for service aces (.60 per set).
TEAM STATISTICS: The Bulldogs lead the CUNYAC in opponent service aces (5.00 per set)… Brooklyn also holds the number one spot in opponent blocks with an average of 1.32 per set.
LAST MEETING: The Hawks swept Brooklyn College 3-0 last time these teams met on Jan. 25, 2014.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Hawks will host No. 1 Kean University on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 7 p.m.… The Bulldogs will square off against Eastern Mennonite University on Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 6 p.m.…Cairn University will face Rutgers-Newark at home on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 7 p.m.
