Senior outside hitters Nick Smith and Bradley Schneider, along with junior setter Matthew Grace were named to the UVC All-Championship team, taking three of the seven spots after leading the Hawks to their third UVC championship in 2019.

UVC tournament MVP Smith posted 19 kills in the final against the No. 1 Stevens Ducks, leading the offensive attack for SUNY New Paltz in the Championship match. In the Hawks' two wins against St. John Fisher and Stevens, Smith totalled 29 kills and 11 digs. He also added five blocks and a pair of aces.

"I wasn't thinking about [winning MVP] that much, I was just thinking about winning as a team," said Smith. "But that's kinda the icing on the cake right there."

Junior setter Matthew Grace played an enormous part in SUNY New Paltz's passing game, with 22 assists and a .333 hitting percentage against St. John Fisher. In the championship match Grace went off, finishing with 52 assists to go along with 11 digs as the Hawks needed his accuracy to overcome their serving struggles.

Grace's co-captain Bradley Schneider had an even 14 kills in each match, totalling 13 digs in the tournament. His aces were crucial for the Hawks, as he served two against St. John Fisher and three against the Ducks, pulling the team through when they needed it the most.

"They played one of their best matches," said Hawks coach Radu Petrus about his three stars. "All around players like them will always have more impact in the game."

The Hawks begin NCAA play this Friday at 4 p.m. at Endicott College, Massachusetts

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