Scranton, PA — State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball took back-to-back 3-1 losses Saturday in day two of the Scranton Invitational, losing to U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Rochester Institute of Technology. The Hawks drop to 0-3 in the young season.
 
"We played very good teams this weekend and didn't come close to meeting the competitive edge necessary to beat high caliber teams" said Hawks coach Matt Giufre. "In the RIT match, I started all of the freshmen and they went out and played loose and assertive, which was good to see. We need to get back in the gym and work on handling the ups and downs of a match. I fully believe the talent is there. It's up to us coaches to get all of the individual ability working as a unit."  
SUNY New Paltz started the match with a loss in set one, falling 25-20. The Hawks came from behind and took set two, 25-22, to even things up. However, SUNY New Paltz couldn't capitalize on the momentum swing and dropped the third and fourth sets, 22-25 and 13-25, respectively. 
 
Freshman outside hitter Katie Steele had a solid start to her collegiate debut with seven kills, seven points and a hitting percentage of .294. Junior setter Haley Timarky totaled 24 assists, while senior libero Nicole Fellone marked 11 digs. Additionally, senior outside hitter Madison Van Pelt finished with nine kills and paced the Hawks with 10 points.
 
In the final match of the day against RIT, SUNY New Paltz grabbed set one, winning 25-23. Unfortunately, the Hawks couldn't finish strong and lost sets two (19-25), three (18-25) and four (21-25). 
 
Freshman right side MaKenzie Bills concluded with 14 kills and five blocks. Fellone tallied 15 digs, while Tamarky added 12 digs and 35 assists. Freshman middle hitter Victoria Konicki was credited with 10.5 points and right behind her was senior outside hitter Emily Visintini with 10 points. 
 
SUNY New Paltz is looking to bounce back Sept 6 and Sept 7 when it hosts the annual Hawk Invitational in the Hawk Center. The Hawks will battle Kean University, Hamilton College, Alfred University and Williams University, respectively. This year's tournament will consist of seven teams. 
 
To view the full schedule of the 2019 Hawks Invitational, click here. 

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