Box Score

UNION, N.J. – In a back-and-forth contest, the No. 4 men's volleyball team at the State University of New York at New Paltz prevailed over host Kean 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 25-27, 15-13) to advance to the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball quarterfinals on Saturday.

With the victory, New Paltz improves to 25-8 overall and will take on Hudson River rival, UVC foe and No. 2 Vassar in the national quarterfinals next Friday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Springfield College.  Kean, meanwhile, ends the season at 26-9.

This will be the third match between New Paltz and Vassar as the programs have split their meetings this season with Vassar winning a 3-2 contest at New Paltz on March 29 before the Hawks knocked off the Brewers in the UVC Semifinals, 3-1, on April 14.

Junior outside hitter Anthony Bonilla (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) led all players with a match-high 17 kills on 29 swings (.414) and provided two digs, two blocks and two aces.

Senior middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) followed with 11 kills (.400), five digs, four blocks and four aces. Classmate Jake Roessler (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) chipped in 10 kills and four blocks.

Freshman Nick O'Malley (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) contributed eight kills and three digs while sophomore Bradley Schneider (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) tacked on five kills, three aces and three digs.

Running the offense was freshman setter Matthew Grace (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North), who finished with a match-high 45 assists. Freshman libero Robert Nolan (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) led the defense with 10 digs.

In the first set, the Hawks led 12-9 and again 15-11 and 17-13, which forced Kean to take a timeout. Leading 24-18, the Cougars clawed back to within three (24-21) before a Bonilla kill gave New Paltz the opener, 25-21.

After falling in set two, 25-20, the Hawks bounced back in the third set with a 6-1 lead to begin and would later lead, 13-7. Another Bonilla kill and ace made the contest 19-12 in favor of New Paltz and a pair of Woessner executions gave the Hawks a 22-16 edge en route to the 25-19 win.

Despite leading 10-5 and 13-8 in the fourth, the Cougars battled back and took the set 27-25 to force the final and deciding fifth set to see who would advance in the tournament.

Using the home crowd to their advantage, Kean went ahead 8-4 at the turn of the fifth set. However, a kill by Roessler and several attacking errors by the Cougars knotted the set at 8-8. Bonilla enjoyed a kill to give New Paltz a 12-11 cushion and Hawks used three Kean errors by Kean to escape with the 15-13 win.