New Paltz, NY -- The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team (14-3, 2-1 UVC) will play No. 15 M.I.T. (15-3, 3-0 UVC) in an important United Volleyball Conference game, as the Hawks look to host in the conference playoffs.

The Hawks bested Ramapo College on Wednesday, 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-19). SUNY New Paltz kept its opponents at bay, as 18 service errors didn't slow them down, and had its third highest hitting percentage of the season at .393. The team is on a four-game winning streak having also recently defeated Bard 3-0, North Central 3-0, and St. Joseph's 3-2.

"M.I.T. is a solid team in the UVC and we are expecting good competition," said Hawks sophomore opposite Brendan Spulnick. "Conference games are especially important for getting home court advantage when conference playoffs come around."

SUNY New Paltz swept M.I.T. the past two seasons. In 2017 the teams faced off twice, once in the UVC quarterfinals where the Hawks earned a 3-0 win over the Engineers once more.

M.I.T is averaging a .270 hitting percentage, and has won 12 games in a row, serving 1.74 aces per set.

SUNY New Paltz has aced 109 times this season compared to opponents' 64 aces, but as a result tallied 322 errors. Hawks coach Radu Petrus always tells his team to go for the ace and be confident.

"We really need to focus on being consistent with our serves and closing out sets," said Spulnick. "Serve-receive is a huge component to the game. As long as we give Matt [Grace] the ball where he needs it, our offense will be set up for success."

SUNY New Paltz tips off today against M.I.T. at 7 p.m. in Cambridge, MA.

To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks,Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks