New Paltz, NY – After dropping two heart-breaking five-set matches over the weekend to United Volleyball Conference rival St. John Fisher College, the State University of New York at New Paltz regrouped Wednesday in its first and only home game of 2021 in a doubleheader against Vassar College.

The Hawks (1-3 overall, 1-2 UVC) again battled to a five-set match in the first game, extending the contest after winning the fourth set and cruising in the fifth, 15-7 to earn the 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-17, 15-7) victory and their first conference win of the season. However, they came out flat against the No. 3 nationally ranked Brewers in game two and fell, 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-18) in what counted as a non-conference matchup.

"I think it was very important, because they are a very strong UVC team and all the conference games that we can win matter, especially this year with our very limited number of games that we have," said SUNY New Paltz junior outside hitter Brendan Spulnick. "It would have been nice to come out with two, but a win is not bad and we played really well today."
 

Like Saturday on the road against the Cardinals, the Hawks were missing a few starters against Vassar, but did get back Aaron Carrk who saw his first action – practice or game – in 10 days. SUNY New Paltz coach Radu Petrus was cautious in inserting the All-American opposite in the lineup and in his absence the offense relied on Spulnick and All-American middle blocker Nick O'Malley. Spulnick led the team with 34 attacks and finished with a team-best and career-high 20 kills, while hitting .382 in the game. O'Malley followed with five kills on 15 attempts with both Spulnick and O'Malley finishing with a team-best four blocks apiece.

"Now that I'm a junior I definitely feel like I have to fill a bigger role, especially when Aaron's out and all those big hitters are gone and they rely on more me and Nick and everyone else like that," Spulnick said.

Neither team hit particularly well in game one, SUNY New Paltz barely edging Vassar in hitting percentage (.188-.122), but the Hawks served hard and totaled eight service aces with senior All-American setter Matthew Grace leading the way with four. 
The Brewers took the first set, 23-25, but the Hawks came back and grabbed momentum in the second and tied the match at a set apiece following a 25-19 second-set victory. The third was tied at 22 following a kill by Spulnick, but a service error and a kill by the Brewers Andrew Kim put Vassar at set point and the visitors sealed the set on a Kim ace.

SUNY New Paltz extended the game into the fifth after rolling through the fourth set. The score was tied at 12, but a five-point run allowed the Hawks to take healthy 16-12 lead. The Brewers then gave the set away following a service error and attacking error to solidify the, 25-17 SUNY New Paltz victory.

The Hawks stormed out to a 4-0 lead in set five and rode that cushion the rest of the way. They finished the fifth with five-straight points including three aces in the last four points by Grace to clinch the win.

"It was a conference game and it was important for us," Petrus said. "I think we played better the first match, but also we 're still looking for the six best players."

The two teams then took an hour break before competing again in game two. The first set of the second match went back-and-forth with the score knotted eight different times, including at 17-all. Vassar went on a four-point run with back-to-back kills by Gavin Van Bereren and Kim, followed by consecutive blocks by Joe Hendrickson and Van Beveren and SUNY New Paltz struggled to recover. It got within two at 20-22 followed by a kill by O'Malley, but the Brewers finished the set, 21-25.  

The Hawks kept the second set close early but trailed for most of the stanza. Their deficit was as many as six and they fought back to get within three at 19-22 with help on a Tenzin Kunga kill and 21-24 following a kill by Spulnick, but Van Beveren put an end to any successful SUNY New Paltz rally with a kill at set point.

SUNY New Paltz seemed gassed by the third set with the Brewers rolling to a 18-25 win and securing the game two sweep.

"I think the second game we came out dead. We didn't want it," Spulnick said. "We didn't want to play and it really showed and we'll just get back in the gym tomorrow and work on that."

The Brewers found their rhythm offensively in game two, hitting .414 with just seven hitting errors. The Hawks, meanwhile, hit.270 with Tenzin Kunga – playing extended time – leading the way with a career-high nine kills. Grace added two more aces in game two and finished with 31 assists and five digs. Carrk and Spulnick combined for 17 kills.

"Tenzin did a good job," Petrus said. "We have to work with all of them on receiving that we will need more matches, more in the practice and more individuals."
SUNY New Paltz hopes to be in full form in its next action Sunday when it faces Elmira on the road for another UVC doubleheader.

"We are still in a difficult situation because now they didn't practice for 10 days," said Petrus. "So, just to come to play it is not easy and not easy for setter to keep in touch with hitters."

Game one between the Hawks and Eagles is set for 2 p.m.





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