Box Score

HUNTINGDON, PA. – Five different players enjoyed four or more kills for the No. 2 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team on Friday night as the Hawks defeated Thiel 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-12) in the first day of the Juniata Invitational.
 
New Paltz improves to 3-2 overall and will take on Wittenberg tomorrow at 1 p.m. followed by a 3 p.m. contest with host No. 15 Juniata. Thiel falls to 0-3 this season.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Bradley Schneider (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) led the offense with eight kills and four service aces. Senior middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) tallied seven kills while hitting .600 and reigning AVCA Division III Player of the Week Anthony Bonilla (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) floored seven kills and notched seven digs.
 
Sophomore opposite Nick Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and senior middle blocker C.J. Borfitz (Inwood, N.Y./Lawrence) both recorded four kills apiece and freshman setter Matthew Grace (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) distributed a match-high 31 assists to pace the offense.
 
For the Tomcats, Cody Patterson enjoyed eight kills and Zach Rombach dished out 17 assists in the defeat.
 
Tied at 6-6 in the opening set, the Hawks rattled off a 13-2 run to take a commanding 19-9 advantage. New Paltz then went up 22-11 but let Thiel back in the contest as the Tomcats enjoyed a 5-0 spurt to get within six (22-16). However, a Schneider kill and two errors by Thiel handed the Hawks the first set, 25-17.
 
Again, the second stanza started out similar to the first with the Hawks clinging to a 12-9 edge. Leading 15-12, New Paltz went on a 5-1 tear to take a 20-13 cushion and used three serving errors by Thiel and kills by Bonilla, Schneider and junior middle blocker Nick Denoncourt (Rochester, N.Y./Penfield) down the stretch to take set two, 25-18.
 
Knotted up at 5-all in the final set, the Hawks orchestrated an 11-2 spurt to control the contest 16-7. Kills by Smith, Borfitz and senior middle blocker Jake Roessler (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) as well as an ace by freshman outside hitter Aaron Carrk (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) sealed the neutral site victory for New Paltz.