The State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team gets back on the road Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 as it makes a trip to New London, CT to participate in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Bear Invitational. The Hawks will clash with Eastern Connecticut State, the hosting Bears, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, respectively. 

SUNY New Paltz stands at 11-10 overall (5-4 SUNYAC) with a three-game winning streak after most recently collecting a 3-1 victory over Western Connecticut State University Oct. 23 in the Hawk Center. 

"The main thing we are looking for is continued growth and consistency on the court, said Hawks coach Matt Giufre. "We've worked a lot this week on skill details and hope they translate to games. The last few matches I've really liked our demeanor -- hungry and enthusiastic and also very steady emotionally." 

Senior Maddie Van Pelt leads the SUNY New Paltz offense in kills (232) and points (256.0), while junior Haley Timarky leads in assists (638). Senior Nicole Fellone has tallied 340 digs and she paces the Hawks with 48 service aces. Junior Demi Herasme has jotted down 54 blocks with senior Kerri Neville right behind her with 48 blocks.

SUNY New Paltz will enter its first matchup of the weekend with a .165 hitting percentage.

The Hawks will battle Eastern Connecticut State University in the opening match of the tournament, which holds a record of 12-8 on the year (5-2 Little East). The Warriors are on a two-game winning streak after sweeping Castleton University and Saint Joseph's College of Maine. 

SUNY New Paltz has an unbeaten 4-0 record over Eastern Connecticut State and will look to steal its fifth win. The last time the Hawks dealt with the Warriors was during the 2008 season, where SUNY New Paltz picked up a 3-1 win at home. 

Abby Stern leads her team with 242 kills and 275 points, while also sitting in second with 238 digs. Alaetra Long has collected 312 digs and Anna Barry sits on top with 14 blocks. Mckenzie Maneggia paces Eastern Connecticut State with 30 service aces and 366 assists. The Warriors enters the contest with a hitting percentage of .157. 

The following day, the Hawks will square off against the hosts, U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The Bears have compiled a 16-7 overall record (5-3 NEWMAC) thus far after earning two wins over Connecticut College and Smith College, respectively. SUNY New Paltz played the hosts earlier in the year at Scranton and fell 3-1. The Hawks will look to rebound off that loss and return the favor. 

Amanda Dake guides the Bears with 259 kills and 297.5 points. Makenna Martin has contributed 449 assists thus far and right behind her is Noelle Tursky with 443 assists of her own. Turksy leads U.S. Coast Guard Academy with 42 service aces and Veronica Hine has posted 329 digs. Furthermore, Mary Sweet has 18 blocks tied to her name. 

SUNY New Paltz will have a short break before facing the Engineers to close out the weekend. Worchester Polytechnic Institute is presently 13-9 on the year and 4-3 record in the NEWMAC after taking a 3-1 win over Wheaton College. The Hawks have never played the Engineers before and will seek to add a loss to their record. 

Amanda Wetmore paces Worchester Polytechnic Institute with 196 kills, 34 service aces and 262.5 points. Catherine Reynolds has tallied 525 assists and sits second with 189 digs. Kayleigh Campbell has posted 193 digs, while Sarah Kwatinetz has tallied 16 blocks. 

"The Coast Guard match was opening weekend of the season and both teams have evolved so much since then it seems like that was years ago," added Giufre. "We've seen every team we play this weekend on film and all are quality opponents that will help prepare us for our upcoming quarterfinal match, along with the matches we have next week. We are using every practice and every match between now and Nov. 5th to polish up our game and hope to be playing our best volleyball in November."

First serve against Eastern Connecticut State University is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start.

To follow along with live video against the Warriors, click here. 

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