NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – After defeating No. 1 Kean 3-0 on Wednesday night, the No. 5 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team looks to ride that momentum into this weekend's United Volleyball Conference (UVC) matches against No. 8 Nazareth and Vassar on Saturday afternoon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
RECORDS: The Hawks are 9-3, 2-1 in UVC action… Nazareth is 18-3, 1-1 UVC… Vassar is 11-8, 0-2 in UVC play.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (9-3, 2-1): The Hawks are fresh off a 3-0 win against No.1 Kean University and for a third-straight season, New Paltz has knocked off the number one ranked team in Division III… The Hawks had a .366 hitting percentage during the match and had an impressive .565 hitting percentage in the second set… Senior setter
John Lutjen led the way for the Hawks in the win with eight kills, a .667 hitting percentage, 15 assists, and four digs… Freshman outside hitter
Anthony Bonilla registered a match-high 11 kills… Junior setter
Christian Smith and junior middle blocker
Christopher Husmann both claimed eight kills, while Husmann had a .500 hitting percentage… Smith had a match-high 21 assists, while also tallying seven digs… Junior libero
Kevin Nardone had a team-high eight digs on the night… When the Hawks last met with the Golden Flyers, setters Smith and Lutjen led the match with a total of 23 kills and 12 assists… Husmann currently leads Division III in hitting percentage (.529).
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Kills: Bonilla (3.18 per set), Husmann (2.69 per set), Smith (2.14 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Husmann (.529), Bonilla (.345), Smith (.297)
Assists: Smith (5.76 per set), Lutjen (5.24 per set),
Mitchell Kennedy (4.93 per set)
Service Aces:
Steven Woessner (0.45 per set), Lutjen (0.35 per set), Bonilla (0.26 per set)
Digs: Nardone (2.28 per set), Bonilla (1.31 per set), Smith (1.05 per set)
Blocks: Husmann (0.74 per set), Woessner (0.71 per set), Smith (0.54 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS: New Paltz leads all of Division III in assists (12.36 per set) and kills (13.07 per set)… The Hawks are second in the nation in hitting percentage (.318).
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLYERS (18-3, 1-1): The Golden Flyers took down Keuka College in a Wednesday night match, winning 3-1… There was a great balance on the court for Nazareth with seven kills apiece from juniors Josh Hieb, Grant Levermore, and Chris Mahan… Mahan had a .455 hitting percentage on the night… Freshman setter Jake Kemp led the way for the Golden Flyers with 29 assists, four digs, and two kills… Levermore had a team-high three blocks for the match… Nazareth claimed a total of 40 kills and a hitting percentage of .324 during the evening… Both senior setter Nick McDonagh and junior libero John McCarty had five digs each... In the last year's match against New Paltz, Levermore led the Golden Flyers with eight kills… Lawatcsch is third in the nation in both hitting percentage (.439) and blocks (1.22 per set).
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Kills: Tim Zyburt (3.49 per set), Levermore (2.93 per set), Luke Lawatsch (2.17 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Lawatsch (.439), Hieb (.420), Levermore (.354)
Assists: Kemp (8.28 per set), McDonagh (4.05 per set), Zyburt (0.24 per set)
Service Aces: Lawatsch (0.29 per set), Levermore (0.29 per set), Zyburt (0.19 per set)
Digs: Levermore (1.46 per set), Zyburt (1.41 per set), Kemp (1.24 per set)
Blocks: Lawatsch (1.22 per set), Mahan (0.91 per set), Levermore (0.56 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS: Nazareth leads the nation in hitting percentage (.340)… The Golden Flyers are third in Division III in winning percentage (.857).
LAST MEETING: New Paltz defeated Nazareth 3-1 when these two teams last met on Feb. 9, 2014.
SCOUTING THE BREWERS (11-8, 0-2): The Brewers defeated Hunter College in a tough five setter on Wednesday night… The Brewers had a season-high 71 kills and this was the most kills recorded by Vassar since defeating New Paltz in 2010, claiming 82 kills in that match… Leading the effort for the Brewers was junior right side Reno Kriz, who chalked up 25 kills on 42 attempts and a .476 hitting percentage… Middle hitter Matthew Knigge also had double-digit kills with 10 on the night… Freshman setter Zechariah Lee had 10 digs and a career-high 54 assists in the win… Sophomore Trey Cimorelli had the best game of his career at Vassar with 17 digs and career-high eight assists… In the victory the Brewers had a .318 hitting percentage… The last time the Brewers faced the Hawks, Kriz led the way for Vassar with a match-best 17 kills, two service aces, and a block… Lee ranks second in Division III with .74 service aces per set.
STATISTICAL LEADERS:Kills: Kriz (2.98 per set), Knigge (2.26 per set), Jorge Rivera (2.30 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Knigge (.375), Kriz (.222), Rivera (.194)
Assists: Lee (8.81 per set), Colin White-Dzuro (5.55 per set), Quinn Rutledge (1.08 per set)
Service Aces: Lee (0.74 per set), Halberg (0.32 per set), White-Dzuro (0.18 per set)
Digs: Cimorelli (2.44 per set), Rivera (1.42 per set), Lee (1.24 per set)
Blocks: Knigge (1.02 per set), Lee (0.81 per set), Helberg (0.71 per set)
TEAM STATISTICS: Vassar leads the UVC and ranks fourth in the nation in service aces (2.25 per set)… The Brewers rank second in the UVC in opponent kills (8.76 per set) and third in opponent assists (8.03 per set).
LAST MEETING: The Hawks defeated Vassar 3-1 when these two teams last met on March 2, 2014.
WHAT'S NEXT: New Paltz hosts UVC foe, No. 9 New York University on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m.…. Nazareth takes on UVC opponents Penn State Behrend on March 19 at 7 p.m.…. Vassar heads to Endicott on March 13 at 5 p.m.
