Box Score HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The No. 2-ranked State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team extended its winning streak to 10 as the Hawks rallied to defeat No. 14 Hunter College, 3-1 (25-18, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17), in the first day of the Juniata Invitational.
New Paltz rises to 12-2 and returns tomorrow to face Lasell College at 11 a.m., followed by a 1:30 p.m. match against host Juniata. Hunter drops to 11-4 and moves on to face No. 4 Nazareth College and the host Eagles tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
In the opening set, both teams traded early points before New Paltz took grabbed a 9-6 edge as senior outside hitter
Andy Fishman (Cornwallville, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) floored back-to-back kills and a block assist with junior middle blocker
Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa). Hunter rallied to pull the score within two but Woessner served up an ace at the line to push the Hawks to a 13-9 lead, prompting Hunter to take a timeout. Junior opposite
Joe Norman (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) added to New Paltz's lead shortly after the break but an attack error returned the serve to the opposing Hawks.
Hunter managed to trim the deficit to 15-13 on a 4-1 run until New Paltz received the ball on a Hunter service ace. Senior middle blocker
Christopher Husmann (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) floored three kills as the Hawks surged ahead on a 6-0 run to lead, 21-13. Hunter would cut the score to 24-17 but a block solo by Norman capped off the set.
New Paltz capitalized on two Hunter errors and a service ace by Norman to pull ahead, 6-3, in the second frame. The opposing Hawks remained close behind until Woessner tallied a kill and two block assists to extend New Paltz's advantage to 12-8. New Paltz held on to their lead before storming ahead on a 5-0 run for a comfortable 24-13 cushion. A service error from New Paltz gave Hunter one more point for the set before sophomore outside hitter
Anthony Bonilla (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) delivered the winning kill.
In the third set, New Paltz jumped out to a 13-10 lead but Hunter was quick to cut the score to 13-12, taking advantage of two New Paltz attacking errors. Despite junior middle blocker/opposite
Jake Roessler (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) landing a kill to push the Hawks' lead to 17-14, the opposing Hawks were able to level the tally to 17-all. Fishman delivered a kill to edge Hunter by one but a kill from Blake Hogan and a New Paltz service error handed Hunter a 19-18 lead, forcing the Hawks into a timeout.
Hunter came out of the break to surge ahead on a 3-1 spurt for a 23-19 lead. After New Paltz took another timeout to regroup, Woessner and Norman each recorded a kill to slice the deficit to 24-21, but New Paltz couldn't find another scoring opportunity as the opposing Hawks sealed the set on a New Paltz blocking error.
Despite Hunter grabbing an early 3-1 edge in the final set, New Paltz pushed a 4-0 run to take a 5-3 lead. The Hawks managed to stay ahead as both teams traded points throughout the set until a 6-0 spurt by New Paltz placed the Hawks with a commanding 16-9 gap, forcing a Hunter timeout. The opposing Hawks rallied to slice the deficit but would only get within five (22-17) as sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter
Ryan Cole (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East), junior middle blocker
C.J. Borfitz (Inwood, N.Y./Lawrence) and freshman outside hitter
Eric Tuttle (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) floored a kill each to cement the match victory for New Paltz.
New Paltz hit .372 (52-12-121) for the match and recorded nine total blocks and 10 aces. Hunter went 30-19-101 for a .109 clip and held a 49-47 edge in digs.
Fishman floored a match-high 12 kills for New Paltz while Norman chipped in 10 kills. Smith dished out 38 kills while senior libero
Kevin Nardone (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) defended 14 digs. Woessner tallied four block assists while Bonilla finished the match with three service aces.
Junior opposite Ben Crusinberry paced Hunter with 10 kills while junior setter Nicolas Sanchez doled out 28 assists and defended 11 digs. Sophomore libero Joseph Muir concluded the match with 16 digs.
