Box Score Beverly, MA — The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (25-7 overall, 8-1 UVC) advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals after completing an incredible fifth set comeback against the hosting Endicott Gulls (26-7) in a thrilling match Saturday afternoon.
 
The Hawks won in five sets, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 19-17), overcoming amazing adversity, as they faced elimination down 13-10 in the final set.
 
"It was a great game. [There] was a lot of enthusiasm on both sides and we fight to the end," said SUNY New Paltz coach Radu Petrus. "I think Endicott stopped playing a little bit in the [fifth set] and gave us more of a chance to come back. Congratulations to Endicott. They dig everything. They put us in a very difficult situation. We didn't have a game like this in the past with a team who dig too many balls. Today we won and it was a lucky day for us." 
 The Hawks started with the right energy, gaining a 5-3 lead with a kill by junior outside hitter Aaron Carrk. SUNY New Paltz kept up its good play, with a three-point run pushing its lead to 11-7.
 
Service errors then brought the game back to within two points. The Gulls seemed determined to take the first set on their home court, making a four-point run setting the score at 20-19. The Hawks managed to take control late, stringing together three-straight points, capped by a kill from junior middle blocker Tevin Skeete to win the set.
 
In the second set, SUNY New Paltz captain and junior setter Matthew Grace tallied a kill to give his team a two-point lead at 7-5. Endicott committed two service errors, but still turned the set around, grabbing a 16-13 advantage. The teams exchanged points, but a service error from the Hawks gave the hosts a 20-18 lead. Another kill by Skeete cut the score to a two-point deficit, 24-22, but the Gulls closed out the set.
 
Endicott started the third hot, going up 5-0 thanks to two service aces. The Gulls continued with a four-point run to open up the lead, 17-6. SUNY New Paltz couldn't find its service stroke, committing more errors in the set, as it lost the third stanza, 25-18.
 
The fourth set was tied early at 4-4, before consecutive blocks by Skeete opened up a 7-4 lead. A service error, followed by two attack errors from the Gulls increased the lead to five, as Hawks junior middle blocker Nick O'Malley subbed in for the first time.
 
Proving instrumental for SUNY New Paltz, O'Malley returned for his team when they needed it most. Fighting a lower back injury, the junior from East Meadow spurred his team, slamming two kills including one to give the Hawks set-point at 24-20. Endicott closed in at 24-22 after an error by SUNY New Paltz senior outside hitter Bradley Schneider, but Carrk bailed out the Hawks, killing the final point and sending the game to its fifth set.

"In the fourth set we just stuck to our strategy more," Grace said. "I thought we served a lot harder in the fourth set, which got them out of their system and we just naturally started running more plays off that. And then in the fifth set, it was just incredible. I mean for us not to give up down 8-2 at the switch, I mean, that's unheard of. That's something special. A credit to all us for not giving up and it was just awesome."
 
However, the final set started in the worst possible way for SUNY New Paltz, with a service error contributing to a 6-1 deficit. A block by Skeete narrowed the lead to 8-4, and a service error from Endicott made the score 10-5. The Hawks again committed a service error making the deficit 13-10 before O'Malley re-entered the game and took over.
 
O'Malley registered a kill, then a block, followed by another kill to fuel a four-point run by the SUNY New Paltz to go ahead, 14-13. With a match point set up, the Hawks again sent the ball into the net.
 
The Gulls cracked under pressure with the match tied at 17 with their own service error, leaving match point up to Hawks senior outside hitter Nick Smith. Smith sealed the set and the victory for SUNY New Paltz with a kill, finalizing the score at 19-17 and advancing the Hawks to the semifinals of the National Tournament.
 
"It was an unbelievable match. Hats off to Endicott. Like coach said, they dug so many balls and it was tough to get kills on them, and they fought very hard but I thought we showed heart in that fifth set," Smith said. "It was a 1-through-19 team win and that was one of the most insane matches I have ever been a part of. It was the greatest comeback I have ever been a part of. I'm at a loss for words."
 
Smith finished the game with 21 kills and Carrk added 14. Skeete and O'Malley finished with eight and six kills respectively, with O'Malley recording a .857 hitting percentage.
 
Up next for the Hawks is defending National Champion Springfield College April 26 in the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament. The semifinal matchup is slated for 4 p.m. at Kean University.

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Check out the post-game press conference featuring Hawks coach Radu Petrus, senior Nick Smith and junior Matthew Grace by clicking below and watch highlights from the match by clicking on the main story image.