Thousand Oaks, CA — After dropping the first set Tuesday night against hosting Cal Lutheran, the State University of New York at New Paltz won three straight sets to collect its third win of the season.
 
After falling in the first, 25-22, the Hawks closed out a tight second stanza with the game tied at 23 following a serving error. Chris Shanley stepped up for a big swing to get SUNY New Paltz at set point and the following play Kyle Shaffer and Pat Wing officially tied the game at one apiece with a double block on the Kingsmen's Sean Fitzpatrick.
 
The Hawks held all the momentum in the third, jumping out to an 18-13 lead following kills by Tim Drake and Jon Ronan. Cal Lutheran worked back to get within one thanks to a four-point run two points later, but the Hawks stymied the rally with a kill from Shanley and then earned back-to-back kills by Wing, both assisted by Kyle Shaffer. Another four-point run by the Kingsmen with SUNY New Paltz up 22-20, nearly snatched the set away from the visitors, but a serving error tied the game and put the Hawks in position to earn the set three win after a block by Brendan Spulnick pushed them to set point. Drake and Spulnick then made the victory official with another double block, this time on Cal Lutheran's Logan Marks, to win the period, 25-23. 
The fourth was tight with the score tied at 19. Shaffer fed Shanley and then Wing to put SUNY New Paltz back in front with the Kingsmen giving the Hawks another point following an attacking error to push the score to 22-19. The difference was cut to two after a serving error by SUNY New Paltz, but the team immediately got to match point thanks to another kill by Shanley an attacking error by Cal Lutheran's Jake Tucker. The set got closer with two points from the Kingsmen, but Wing sealed the victory on a game-winning kill.
 
The Hawks held the advantage in points (70-46), kills (51-28), aces (6-4), assists (48-26) and digs (39-32) with Cal Lutheran struggling to get its offense going, hitting 0 on the night. SUNY New Paltz hit better at .153 and was led by 16 kills from Shanley, a season-high for the senior. The difference came at the net with Wing finishing with a career-high eight blocks and Splunick right behind with five. Shaffer had his best game as a Hawk and led the team with a career-high 38 assists.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Wednesday as it heads to Fullerton, California to face Hope International. First serve is scheduled for 9 p.m. eastern standard time.

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