Coming off its first conference loss of the season, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's volleyball team is looking to get back into the win column as it hits the road to face SUNY Cortland and Oswego State.
 
The Hawks (9-9 overall, 4-1 SUNYAC) have a tough Friday test against the Red Dragons who are currently atop the SUNYAC standings at 5-0 — the lone undefeated thus far — and 16-2 overall.
 
They have a ton of depth and an explosive offense that has produced 836 kills to average nearly 13 kills per set, while hitting .226 as a team. They are led by their two athletic outsides in seniors Hannah Southcott and Nicole Van Pelt, who have amassed 264 and 224 kills, respectively, to lead the team. Southcott averages more than four kills per set, hitting .293 with 10 aces on the season, while Van Pelt, younger sister of Hawks women's volleyball alum Maddie Van Pelt '20, is averaging 3.45 kills per set, while hitting .211 on the season to go along with 18 service aces.
 
Defensively, Cortland has been just as impressive. Opposing teams are held to hit just .102 against the Red Dragons, while totaling just 644 kills with 399 errors and averaging less than 10 kills per set. They've totaled 123 blocks as a team to lead the conference. 
SUNY New Paltz also hopes to snap Cortland's 11-game winning streak where it has dropped just four sets in the stretch, while tallying nine 3-0 victories on the year.
 
Following Friday's match, the Hawks will head to Oswego to face a Lakers team that currently sits at the bottom of the league standings at 0-5, and 7-10 overall.
 
Oswego has averaged about nine kills per set as a team, while hitting .126 on the year. Freshman outside Cara Simplicio leads the team with 113 kills, averaging 1.92 per set while hitting .148 and averaging just more than two points per set. Junior setter McKenna Corbin paces the offense at the position, totaling 259 assists on the season, averaging just more than four per set with a team-leading 25 aces. Sophomore Georgia Farry is the most dominant middle for the Lakers, as she has tallied a team-most 33 blocks. Senior libero Skylar Bechard leads the team with 241 digs to go along with 21 aces — second on the team behind Corbin.
 
The Lakers are coming off a 3-0 sweep over Wells College Oct. 6, following a disappointing SUNYAC weekend where they dropped both matches in straight sets to SUNY Geneseo and The College at Brockport, respectively. The team will face SUNY Oneonta Friday before taking on the Hawks Saturday at Max Ziel Gymnasium.
 
As for SUNY New Paltz, it currently sits fourth in the SUNYAC, tied alongside the Knights and just ahead of the Golden Eagles. The Hawks will see both programs in the Hawk Center next weekend, making the two upcoming matches against the Red Dragons and Lakers equally as important to maintain their position in the conference standings.
 
Freshman middle Letisha Perez leads SUNY New Paltz with 140 kills, averaging 2.26 per set and 2.84 points per set to go along with nine aces and 41 blocks. Sophomore outside Mackenzie Williams follows with 114 kills, averaging 2.53 per set and 3.09 points per set with 20 aces to go along with 10 blocks and 122 digs on the year. Junior middle Victoria Konicki leads the team with 49 blocks, and has totaled 94 kills, averaging 1.78 kills per set. Cate DiGiacomo is the conductor offensively, as the setter has registered 415 assists to go along with a team-high 21 aces, 18 kills, 10 blocks and 125 digs — the latter category places her second on the team just behind libero Mia Waddell, who has 280 digs on the season.
 
The Hawks are set to face Cortland at 6 p.m. Friday before taking on the Lakers Saturday at 1 p.m.

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