The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team returns to action Wednesday night when it host its first home match of the season against Bard College to continue United Volleyball Conference (UVC) play.
The Hawks are coming off a weekend split in the Hunter College Tri-Match, earning a 3-1 (25-15, 25-14, 15-25, 25-21) win over Lasell College, while losing 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 10-15) to Hunter College. Due to inclement weather, SUNY New Paltz did not get to practice Tuesday before the conference match.
"It is unfortunate that we aren't able to practice due to the weather, but everyone will be heading to the gym in the morning to get a few touches prior to the match," said SUNY New Paltz senior outside hitter Bradley Schneider. "On the other hand, we try to look at the positives and no practice [Tuesday] is a good opportunity for some to rest up and recover from minor injuries. We know what to expect from Bard tomorrow and everyone is excited to finally have our home opener and give the fans a show in the Hawks nest." 
Finding a lot of success against Bard College in the past, the Hawks haven't lost to the Raptors since 2005. SUNY New Paltz earned a 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-11) victory over Bard College in 2018, and have swept the Raptors in every matchup since 2014.
After dropping five games on its schedule already due to cancellation, Bard College currently sits at 1-5 on the year and has lost two UVC matches to Nazareth College 3-0 (11-25, 13-25, 8-25) and Vassar College 3-0 (12-25, 15-25, 11-25). The Raptors come into the match against the Hawks after a 3-0 (7-25, 14-25, 14-25) loss to Johnson and Wales University.
SUNY New Paltz's match against Bard College will be a quick tuneup before the weekend, where the Hawks travel to Kean University for a tri-match against the Cougars and New Jersey City University. Next Wednesday on Feb. 20, SUNY New Paltz will have its biggest test of the season when the Hawks take on reigning National Champion Springfield College at home.
"This past weekend taught us many things, primarily that no team can be taken lightly," Schneider said. "Our expectations for this match are a 3-0 sweep with high energy throughout every set that will be played."
SUNY New Paltz will face off with Bard College at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Hawk Center. To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks,Instagramand Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.
