The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (24-7 overall, 8-1 UVC) enters the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Friday against Baruch College (18-12) at Endicott College at 4 p.m.
The Hawks won the 2019 United Volleyball Conference Championship April 14, guaranteeing them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and avoiding a few stressful days of waiting to know whether they would have been selected. 
SUNY New Paltz earned its third UVC championship by defeating St. John Fisher in the semifinals 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16) before playing conference rivals Stevens, winning the championship, 3-1 (25-21, 26-24, 14-25, 27-25) in a high-flying contest between the top seeded teams in the conference.
"It was unbelievable to win the conference as a team you know, we worked so hard in the practices before," said Hawks senior outside hitter Nick Smith. "We have to keep this momentum going, keep our blocking up and if we do that we're gonna win."
After winning the UVCs, the Hawks hopped up to No. 4 in the national rankings from No. 9, and are excited to have the chance to build upon a legacy and emulate the 2016 class that brought home the National Championship.
"We got to build upon this, one step at a time, Baruch first. I don't see why we can't win the National Championship and I think we will," said Smith, who also won the UVC Tournament MVP.
The Hawks already defeated Baruch College on their home court this season in a straight sweep, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-20). They haven't lost to Baruch in recent history, sweeping the Bearcats in 2018 and 2016, and earning a 3-1 win in 2017.
The Hawks play in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday at 4 p.m. at Endicott College. A win advances them into the quarterfinal round against either the hosting Gulls or St. Joseph's College-University Saturday at 6 p.m.
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