The State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team will head to Hoboken, NJ Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 to participate in the Ducks Classic, hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology. The Hawks will encounter Stockton University, the hosting Ducks, and Cabrini University, respectively.
"After Tuesday's loss we came back the next day to reflect on all of our mistakes," said SUNY New Paltz junior middle hitter Demi Herasme. "With each game, we have to reiterate what our team standards are and our performance on Tuesday did not exceed them. This weekend we are looking to eliminate those mistakes made in our last game and play confidently." 
The Hawks recently saw their five-game winning streak snapped by Catskill Cup rival SUNY Oneonta Sept. 17, falling 3-1. The loss put SUNY New Paltz's record to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in the SUNYAC. The Hawks will look to put the loss behind them and head into the weekend seeking to collect three wins.
"I am hoping to see our team do a better job staying in a positive mindset during good stretches and challenging stretches of play," said SUNY New Paltz coach Matt Giufre. "I'm looking for consistency offensively and defensively, and that we play more assertive and with a sense of urgency on our side of the net. We have 3 good teams that are going to come after us this weekend and it's time to show we can handle that challenge play after play."
SUNY New Paltz is currently led by junior setter Haley Timarky with 283 assists. Senior libero Nicole Fellone paces the Hawks with 21 service aces and 128 digs. Junior middle hitter Demi Herasme has contributed 20 blocks thus far. Senior outside hitter Maddie Van Pelt guides SUNY New Paltz with 94 kills. The Hawks enters the Ducks Classic with a .166 hitting percentage.
SUNY New Paltz will first battle the Ospreys. Stockton University's record is currently 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC. The last time SUNY New Paltz faced Stockton was during the 2017 Hawks Invitational that saw the Hawks take a 3-0 loss. The Ospreys presently holds a 4-2 record over SUNY New Paltz.
The following day, the Hawks will go face-to-face against the hosts, Stevens. SUNY New Paltz has eight wins and 11 losses tied to its name against the Ducks. Stevens holds a 3-5 overall record and 1-0 in the MAC Freedom Conference in 2019. The Ducks took a 3-1 victory over SUNY New Paltz during the 2018 season in the Hawk Center. The Hawks will look to return the favor on their home court.
In the final match of the weekend, SUNY New Paltz will clash with the Cavaliers. The Hawks have only played Cabrini University once, which resulted in the Cavaliers stealing a 3-2 win after SUNY New Paltz took the first two sets of the match during the 2015 season. Cabrini University possesses a 4-6 overall record (0-0 AEC).
First serve against Stockton University is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
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